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THE 


HINDU; OR CASTE MAN 

OF 

INDIA. 


< 3 > BY - 

REV. N. E. YEISER, M. A., 

it 

The Young People's Missionary, Narasarowpet , India. 


WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR. 


V 


PHILADELPHIA, PA.: 

LUTHERAN PUBLICATION SOCIETY. 





- 

Copyright, 1899, 

BY 

N. E. Yeiser. 


TWO COPIES RECEIVED, 



/ 

U o 'bS'4- 
< 3(2^K . 





PREFACE. 


My object in writing this little book has been to 
give a short sketch of some of the most prominent 
characteristics of the Hindu in his social and relig¬ 
ious life, and his attitude toward Missions. 

Volumes could be written on this subject, but 
my object will be accomplished if those who read 
will be able to understand what the Hindu, of 
to-day, is from a moral and religious standpoint. 
It will then also be evident what is yet to be 
accomplished by the Church of Christ in order to 
bring him into the true light of the Gospel. 

If through the pages that follow I shall- have 
succeeded in arousing others to a deeper interest in 
those yet without the FOLD, in India, I shall feel 
that I am more than repaid for my labor. 

At the suggestion of the publishers, the picture 
of the author appears as a frontispiece. 

N. E. Y. 


September ii, 1899. 


( 3 ) 



TO THE 

YOUNG PEOPLE 

OF THE 

LUTHERAN CHURCH 


THIS LITTLE; VOIyUMF IS HUMBLY DEDICATED. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER X. 

PAGE 

General Observations. 7 

The Hindu’s Dress .. 17 

Classification of the Hindu. 22 

The Sacred Thread. 34 

The Marks the Hindu Puts on his Body . 39 

The Hindu’s Religious Observances. 48 

CHAPTER II. 

The gods the Hindu Worships. 71 

Brahma, the Highest of the gods. 76 

The god Vishnu. 79 

The god Siva. 85 

The god Indra. 87 

The god Ganesa. 88 

The god Krishna . 90 

Hanumanta (monkey god). 95 

The goddess Kali. 97 

Jagannath.100 

Balabhadra and Subhadra.102 

Serpent Worship. 104 

Bird Worship.106 

Demon Worship. 107 

The Sacred Tree...113 

The Sacred Waters. 114 

CHAPTER III. 

The Hindu’s Attitude toward Missions.116 

( 5 ) 


























LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, 


PAGE 

A Caste Man’s House. 15 

A Group of Government Officials—Hindu and 

Muhammadans. 19 

The Caste Man’s Wife. . 21 

The Sixth Avatara, or Incarnation of Vishnu as 

Parashu-Rama. 25 

The Reception of a Guru. 32 

A Vishnu Brahman showing the Sacred Thread 38 

A Brahman after Prayers (Siva sect). 43 

A Police Constable and Son (Vishnu sect). 45 

Hindu Women carrying Water. 47 

The goddess Kali. 51 

Banners on the Way to a Festival. 56 

The Yogi. 59 

The Trimurti. 73 

Brahma and his Wife. 78 

The Ten Avataras of Vishnu. 84 

Ganesa . 89 

Krishna with Butter. 91 

Krishna with the Snake. 93 

Hanumanta (monkey god). 96 

Kali. 99 

JAGANNATH DRESSED.IOI 

JAGANNATH UNDRESSED. 102 

Balabhadra.103 

SUBHADRA. IO4 

The Cobra Worshiped.105 

Birds Worshiped (feeding a Kite religiously) ... 107 

Demon Worship. .... 108 

The Demon Mallan and his wife Karunkali .... no 

Demons.112 

The Tree God.113 

In Sacred Waters.115 


( 6 ) 






























THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


CHAPTER I. 

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 

Every detail of the Hindu’s daily life is regu¬ 
lated by the sacred texts; when he should rise, 
and bathe, and pray; in what posture he must say 
prayers; how he is to bathe and purify himself; 
what is to be his daily dress; what days and hours 
should be avoided for the recitation of the Veda; 
in whose presence the Vedas should be learned and 
in whose presence recited; what are the impurities 
that must be avoided; h^w he must earn his sub¬ 
sistence; from whom he may accept presents; 
whom he should respect and whom avoid; in what 
water he may bathe; on how many occasions he 
should sip water; under what conditions he should 
beg; when and what he may accept from the 
unworthy, and many other important matters 
must be considered, until at last he has fulfilled 
every obligation, according to the law, to the 
( 7 ) 



& THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

SAGES, and to the gods. “Then let him make 
everything over to his son and dwell in his house, 
not caring for any world concerns.” 

Such are some of the requirements laid down in 
the Dharma Sastras for the daily routine of the 
Caste man in India. This moral code has two 
branches: “revelation and tradition.” The 
former includes the Vedas and such other books as 
are based on the authority of the Vedas, and the 
latter “what has" been transmitted by their 
fathers.” A few quotations will suffice to give an 
idea what these impute as obligatory : 

“Early in the morning let a man decorate his 
body (this is usually done with ashes), bathe, 
clean his teeth, apply collyrium to his eyes, and 
worship the gods.” 

“ Eet him reverentially salute venerable men 
who visit him, give them his own seat, sit near 
them with joined hands, and when they leave, 
accompany them, walking behind them.” 

“Let him not bathe immediately after a meal, 
nor when he is sick, nor in the middle of the 
night, nor dressed in all his garments, nor in a 
pool which he does not perfectly know.” 

“ Let him not enter into a walled village or 
house except by the gate, and by night let him 
keep a long distance from the roots of trees.” 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


9 


“Let him not eat anything from which the oil 
has been extracted; let him not eat early in the 
morning, nor late in the evening, nor take any 
food in the evening if he has eaten his fill in the 
morning.” 

“ Let him not go alone on a journey, nor reside 
long on a mountain.” 

“Let him not eat dressed only with one gar¬ 
ment, nor sleep in a deserted village, nor awake a 
superior who is sleeping. Let him not use shoes, 
garments, a sacred string, ornaments, a garland, or 
a water vessel, which has been used by others.” 

“ The morning sun, smoke rising from a burning 
corpse, and a broken seat, must be avoided. Let 
him not clip his nails or hair, and not tear his 
nails with his teeth.” 

“Far from his dwelling let him remove the 
water used to wash his feet, and the remnants of 
food, and the water used for his bath. Let him 
never bathe in tanks belonging to other men; if he 
bathe in such an one, he is tainted by a portion of 
the guilt of him who made it. Let him always 
bathe in rivers, in ponds dug by the gods them¬ 
selves, in lakes, and in water-holes or springs.” 

“ Let him never eat food given by sick men, nor 
that in which hair or insects are found, nor what 
has been touched by dogs, or food at which a cow 


IO THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

lias smelt. Let him not eat what was kept over 
night, nor the leavings of another man, nor that 
which was prepared for a woman in child-bed, nor 
that given by out-Castes, nor that on which any one 
has sneezed.” 

“Let him not dwell in a country where the 
rulers are Sudras, nor one which is surrounded by 
unrighteous men, nor in one which has become 
subject to heretics, nor in one swarming with out- 
Castes.” 

Such are a few of the many rules laid down for 
daily practice by those who would be known as 
good Hindus. With great fear lest he should be 
polluted the Hindu leaves his house in the morn¬ 
ing, and with superstitious fear, he strives to fulfil 
every article in his code of self-righteousness. 
Hindu society holds a firm grip on all its adherents 
by determining for itself what is good and bad, 
holy and unholy, clean and unclean, and by 
punishing, with prompt excommunication, all who 
are found guilty of disregarding any of its rules and 
customs. Hinduism does not stop to ask, Is that 
in accord with moral laws ? but is satisfied when 
an act is in accord with custom. And woe to the 
man who dares to do anything disapproved by 
long established custom, be it good or bad. 

This despotic power is the one agent which 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. II 

holds Hindu society together, defying with the 
greatest determination any other influence or 
doctrine which may threaten to win away its 
adherents. 

On account of the fear of losing Caste and 
superstitious belief in evil influences ruining them 
in case they do certain things, the white man has 
but little opportunity of associating with his Hindu 
brother; he can neither eat nor drink with a for¬ 
eigner; cannot even admit him into his house with¬ 
out defiling it so that ceremonies of purification 
must be performed before the house can be oc¬ 
cupied by his own family. 

In India, Caste separates those adhering to the 
different sects as thoroughly as though they were 
living in different countries, so far as social inter¬ 
course is concerned. In “Vidic India,” Ragozin 
says, “Everybody knows what is meant by Caste 
in India. Everybody has a more or less clear per¬ 
ception of the hold this baneful system has estab¬ 
lished on about one-sixth of the human race, and 
of its well nigh ineradicable evil effects—of the in¬ 
superable barrier it opposes to the best meant 
efforts of the country’s European rulers.” 

The Castes of India are as follows: (first) the 
Brahman, or priestly class ; (second) the Kshatriya, 
or kingly class; (third) the Vaishya, or merchant 
class; (fourth) the Sudra, or working class. 


12 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

This is the division adhered to according to the 
tradition that man sprang from different parts of 
Brahma’s body, and is the general division of 
Caste throughout India. There are, however, 
many other Castes and sects which have sprung up 
from this general division, which are either local 
or consist of the so well known out-Caste, who in 
turn tries to be a Caste, separate and distinct, but 
who has succeeded only in imitating the worst 
part of Caste, viz., the hatred of all but their own 
class, superstitious adherence to idol worship, 
mantrams, and fear of evil influences. 

In locating a prayer-house in a village for Christ¬ 
ians who were formerly Malas (out-castes), the 
head man of the village objected to the exact site 
designated, and when the plans were not changed, 
became very much excited. When his objections 
were heard, he said it pointed to his door, and 
would pierce him, according to their Sastras. He 
was trying to imitate some superstition of the 
Castes of India. Many rules are important in the 
location of a house by a Caste man. If the water 
runs toward a neighbor’s house, evil and quarrels 
will arise; the water of one’s own house should 
always flow in some certain direction in order to 
secure good luck. Should there be any mistake in 
. this respect, or in any other particular, the gods 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 13 

are sure to be offended and bad luck follow. The 
place of building also enters in, as well as the way 
of building. Many instructions are given as to 
“the color, taste and smell of the soil, together 
with the various means of testing its merits as a 
lucky or unlucky spot.” 

I11 case the man building a house should take 
sick, it is at once believed that something is wrong 
in the plan or site selected, or about the building 
itself. If, however, “the man should die before 
the building is finished, it is at once abandoned, 
and no one would think of taking over the work 
with a view to finish it.” “A house must not 
be built in front of a Siva temple, as the eye of 
that god has an evil influence; nor must it be built 
behind one to Vishnu, but it may be on either 
side of them.” 

While a Hindu’s house is under construction, 
ceremonies must be performed at stated times, 
the first of which takes place when the work is 
begun on the walls. At this ceremony the owner 
of the house and his wife must both be present, 
and the family priest must also take part. The 
question then arises how to avoid turning the 
house in the direction of the mischievous god 
Vastupursha. This god is supposed to hold in his 
power the fate of all building operations. The 


14 the HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

god is believed to be in a reclining position, and to 
be changing about by turning his face at different 
periods of the year. The house under construction 
must, however, not be carried on while it would 
face toward the god. If such carelessness were in¬ 
dulged in, bad luck would be sure to follow. 
When a house is about to be commenced, and it is 
discovered through the priest that Vastupursha’s 
face is turned in that direction at that time, the 
work is abandoned until the god again changes his 
position so that his eyes may not fall upon it. It 
must also be well considered on which side of the 
road or street a house is placed. 

The Vastu Shastram (which is the recognized 
Hindu authority on the subject) says: “It is good 
to build toward the north or east, but bad toward 
the south or west.” In case the builder has enough 
land to build his house back from the road, he will 
be sure to do so, and put a wall along the road 
eight or ten feet high, with only a door of entrance 
to the house. 

Ceremonies are performed at different times dur¬ 
ing the construction of the house, as “at the put¬ 
ting up of the main doorway—when the ridge-piece 
is put up—at the digging of the well, and when the 
family first take possession.” At the main en¬ 
trance the pieces over the door are usually carved 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


!5 


elaborately, and are called “the liorse-stool, be¬ 
cause upon them are placed the cross pieces which 
support the wall above.” The ceremony performed 



A CASTE MAN’S HOUSE. 


when these important pieces of the house are put 
up consists principally of prayer, as follows : 

“ O door frame, with parts tightly framed together, 
According to Vastushastra rule, 

Do thou, being fixed in this house, 

Cause happiness to increase. 

“With saffron, turmeric, flowers, 

And sandal being well adorned, 

Do thou forever be happy, 

And be our support and stay. 







16 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

“Thus having fixed the door frame 
With clasped hands and circumambulations, 

Home happiness he (the householder) will receive, 
With long life and good health.” 

As indicated in the prayer, the door frame is well 
decorated and adorned with various designs of 
Indian admiration. 

The principal feature in a Hindu house is that it 
must be square, and have an opening to the sky in 
the center. The roof usually slopes in from the 
four sides, sloping down funnel like in the center. 
Through this central opening the rain descends in 
torrents, sometimes for days during the rainy 
season, and the house is kept wet and damp to the 
discomfort of all occupying it. The reason for this 
peculiar way of building is not clearly stated, but 
is said by some to be for the purpose of admitting 
the sun. Others, however, say it is for the purpose 
of securing rainfall in the house, for the purpose 
of securing happiness. 

Thus the people of India have gotten in the 
habit of building a kind of house in which they are 
inconvenienced both when the sun shines and 
when it rains, simply because it has become 
custom thus to build their houses. They can give 
no satisfactory reason, religiously, why their houses 
should be so, rather than otherwise, and certainly 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 17 

there is no sanitary reason. On the contrary, all 
notions of hygiene would at once protest to such 
a pool in the house. All houses built 011 the 
approved Hindu style have this opening in the 
center. This opening is usually the only place 
from which light is admitted, excepting through 
the door, as no windows are put in the walls by 
the Caste people of India. This is only one of the 
peculiarities of the Caste man, others will be noted 
one by one. 

HIS DRESS. 

“The dress of the Hindu is of all shades and 
colors.” I11 going through a town or village it is 
most amusing to see the various designs and colors 
of the garments worn by the people. Some wear 
plain cloths with a red border thrown loosely 
about them; some wear coats varying in color and 
style of cut with the fancy of the owner; some 
have sleeves, others have none; some have buttons, 
while others have the cut of a shirt and fit up close 
to the neck, thus making that luxury unnecessary. 
Some wear a kind of garment very like a vest in 
appearance over the top of their coat or cloth, 
always of highly colored materials, and very often 
of silk. 

Red flannel coats are very popular in some of the 
villages of the rural districts. Yellow coats are ad- 


2 


l8 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

mired by the young, and many a bridegroom invests 
his last coin, or goes into debt, in order to get a 
yellow coat to get married. The Brahman usually 
wears no upper garment at all, but is content to 
have his sacred thread conspicuously displayed 
about his body, and when he does wear a coat, it 
is for the special purpose of associating with Euro¬ 
peans, but assumes his natural garb as soon as he 
gets back to his home. 

Muhammadans generally wear a long white coat 
somewhat like the cut of a gown, without the puffs 
on the sleeves, and often reaching to the ankles of 
the wearer. In the case of poor Muhammadans, 
such expensive garments are out of the question, so 
they are content to wear a pair of trousers made of 
white muslin or drill, with a draw-string about the 
waist, nor does it ever seem to occur to this class 
of people that an upper cloth is necessary. The 
children of all classes alike are left in nature’s 
garb until about the age of eight. The head 
dress is chiefly the turban among the Hindus, 
but not a few are now beginning to wear a little 
skull-cap worked in fancy designs. The turban is 
a cloth about eight yards in length and a yard 
wide, wrapped about the head, with the end so 
tucked in as to keep it from unraveling. 

These turbans are of many colors, and usually 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 19 

of several colors. The Hindu shoes are of various 
kinds and colors; the most common being a mere 



sole with a few straps over the top into which the 
toes and instep fit. This is the shoe worn by all 





20 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

the working classes and many others. The higher 
classes, however, wear a finer and more attractive 
(though less comfortable) shoe, consisting of a 
sort of slipper turned up in front and only large 
enough to admit the toes of the wearer, while the 
back part flops up and down at every step taken. 
The Muhammadans again have a different style, 
which consists of a heavy slipper with heels, 
turned up in front, but which seems to be made so 
as to stick to the foot fairly well. 

The dress of women consists of a single piece 
of cloth from six to twenty yards in length and 
about a yard in width. In this cloth they wrap 
themselves so ingeniously as to be both convenient 
to themselves and graceful in appearance. The 
women wear no head dress, but a short tight-fitting 
jacket is worn by most women now. One end of 
the cloth is often thrown over the head. The 
accompanying picture of a Hindu woman will, 
however, convey a much better idea than it is 
possible to give by words. 

In this posture the house-wife of India may be 
seen every morning ; she has just swept her house 
and is now decorating the front door step with 
chalk or lime. She is a model wife in this respect 
as well as in many others. On her arms will be 
observed bracelets, on her fingers and toes rings; 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


21 


the common nose-piece worn by the Indian women 
is in her nose, the ornaments are in her ears, her 
hair is in India style, her dress is also of approved 



THE CASTE MAN’S WIFE. 

style, and in every respect we have here a good 
view of the Caste Man’s wife. These decorations 
are said to be put in front of the houses, by some, 








22 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

to ward off evil, but others deny this statement 
and say it is only the approved Indian way of 
decorating the front door-steps, and of indicating 
that the place was swept. 

HIS CLASSIFICATION. 

The different classes of India may be represented 
as (First), the Priests ; (Second), the Warriors; 
(Third), the Craftsmen and Tradesmen ; (Fourth), 
the Working classes. A popular writer says, 
“Those who pray, those who fight, those who 
barter, and those who serve.” 

This may be regarded as a good classification of 
the people of India, but it does not at all reveal 
the real state of things. The people of most other 
countries are indeed more or less similarly class¬ 
ified by their natural instincts and training, but in 
India the above named classes correspond to the 
different Castes, which draw “ the separating lines 
deep and straight.” Nowhere else were men so 
sternly doomed to live and die within the pale of 
the social status in which they were born, with 
nothing left to individual choice, no narrowest door 
ajar through which to pass into another—wherein, 
in fact, lies the very essence of Caste as dis¬ 
tinguished from mere class barriers, which may be 
high and foreboding, but not utterly impassable. 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 23 

Lastly, nowhere else did the priesthood claim such 
absolute pre-eminence, demand such unconditional 
submissiveness, such almost servile self-abasement 
from all classes of the community—to this extent, 
that for a Brahman to marry a maiden of the war¬ 
rior Caste was a condescension or degradation, 
although to that Caste belonged the kings, the 
rulers of the land. What other priesthood ever 
had the hardihood to proclaim in so many words 
that “there are two classes of gods : the gods in 
heaven and the Brahmans on the earth.” 

In the Laws of Manu these classes are defined as 
follows ; to Brahmans he (Brahma) assigned teach¬ 
ing and studying the Veda, sacrificing for their 
own benefit and for others, giving and accepting of 
alms. The Kshatriya he commended to protect the 
people, to bestow gifts, to offer sacrifices, to study 
the Veda, and to abstain from attaching himself 
to sensual pleasures. The Vaishya to tend cattle, 
to offer sacrifices, to study the Veda, to trade, to 
lend money, and to cultivate the land. One occu¬ 
pation only the lord prescribed to the Sudra : to 
serve meekly the other three Castes. 

The position given to the Brahman in the above 
quoted passage may seem a highly exalted one, 
but there are passages in which he is at once made 
a god among men, not from any other reason, 


24 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

however, save the fact of his birth in that Caste- 
The following few lines from the Taws of Mann 
may be sufficient to give even those living in the 
West an idea of the Brahman’s arrogance, self 
conceit, and disrespect for all those who are not of 
the same Caste with himself. In Manu it is stated, 
u a Brahman coming into existence, is born as the 
highest on earth, the lord of all created beings, for 
the protection of the treasury of the law. What¬ 
ever exists in the world is the property of the 
Brahman; on account of the excellency of his 
origin the Brahman is indeed entitled to it alL 
The Brahman eats but his own food, wears his own 
apparel, bestows but his own alms; other mortals 
subsist through the benevolence of the Brahman. 

. . . Know that a Brahman of ten years and a 
Kshattiya of a hundred years stand to each other in 
the relation of father and son, but between these 
two the Brahman is the father. ... A Brahman, 
be he ignorant or learned, is a great divinity. 

Though Brahmans employ themselves in all 
sorts of mean occupations, they must be honored in 
every way, fqr each one of them is a great deity.” 

The duty pf a king is briefly stated as being 
u not to turn back in battle, to protect the people,, 
to honor Brahmans.” 

Though th& Brahman lays claim to everything,. 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 25 

one need only learn to know his circumstances to 
learn that he has not been able to make good all 
his claims. Of material power he has compara- 



THE SIXTH AVATAR, OR INCARNATION OF VISHNU AS 
PARASHU-RAMA. 









26 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

tively little compared to the other Castes. And 
after some of the most outrageous boasting, the 
priestly lawgiver suddenly descends to reasonable 
grounds, and lays down reasonable axioms in order 
that they may become tolerable to those who are in 
power. The following may be regarded as a good 
specimen: “ Kshatriyas prosper not without Brah¬ 
mans; Brahmans prosper not without Kshatriyas. 
Brahmans and Kshatriyas being closely united, 
prosper in this world and the next.” In the 
accompanying illustration we are, however, re¬ 
minded of a time when the Kshatriya became so 
powerful and arrogant as to threaten the overthrow 
of the Brahman, who was only saved by the inter¬ 
vention of Vishnu himself, who took human form 
“as Parashu-Rama (Rama with the axe), # who be¬ 
came the exterminator of the warrior Caste. 

‘ Thrice.seven times did he clear the earth of the 
Kshatriya race, and filled five lakes with their 
blood,’ after which he gave the earth to the 
Brahmans.” 

The cow is Vasishtha’s sacred and miraculous 
cow, the emblem of Brahmanic prayer and sacrifice. 
The origin and development of so rigid and in¬ 
fernal a system, and which holds so many millions 
in strict abeyance to its rules, is a study of no little 
interest. Before this study is taken up in detail, it 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 27 

may be well to mention that the name “Sudra” 
varies greatly in meaning of position in different 
parts of India. In the South it means one in 
social standing next to the Brahman, while in the 
North it means one in the social scale where the 
Pariah stands in South India. The reason for this 
seems to be found in the fact that “ the Aryans did 
not conquer the South by force of arms, as they 
did the North, but by the more honorable force of 
superior knowledge and higher civilization.” 
They were unable, therefore, either to impose their 
language upon the aboriginal inhabitants, or to 
treat them as serfs. 

Hence they cunningly called them “Sudras,” 
persuading them that it was a title of honor. The 
Sudras are highly respected by all classes in South 
India; and the Pariahs, who seem to have been 
conquered by the Sudras, are the serfs, of the 
South. The origin of the Caste system evidently 
dates back to the arrival of the Aryans in “the 
land of the five rivers.” 

They first settled in the North and in course of 
time spread toward the Bast and South. They 
also had some knowledge of the sea, the Indian 
Ocean South of the Imdus. I11 the time of Namu 
they occupied the whole region called by him 
Aryavarta, the abode of the Aryan, extending 


28 the HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

from the Western to the Eastern sea, and bounded 
on the North and South by the Himalaya and 
Viudhya mountains. The country to which the 
Aryans had come was strange and in many ways 
uncongenial to them. The people were of different 
color, different religion, and spoke a different 
language. The feeling which existed between the 
Aryans and their new neighbors may be seen by 
the terms applied to them, such as enemies, slaves, 
barbarians, raw flesh eaters, devoid of religious 
rights, priestless, not keeping the sacred fires, mad 
worshipers of mad gods; and did not even hesitate 
to accuse them of being those, “who gloat on the 
bloody flesh of men or horses, and steal the milk 
of the cow, and added, Agni cut off their heads 
with fiery swords.” 

The real cause for such hatred may no doubt be 
found in the opposition offered to the new comers 
by the aborigines, who made every effort to protect 
their country and homes. These people, though 
in the state of barbarism, yet we learn that they 
had fortified cities, fought with weapons, possessed 
much wealth, were governed by kings. The 
struggle was no doubt a fierce one, but the stronger 
Aryans prevailed and the dark-skinned Indians 
were reduced to subjection and slavery. 

“Here then,” says Dr. Phillips, “was the first 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 29 

distinction of a Caste, a distinction both ethical 
and political—the distinction between foreigners 
and natives, between the conquerors and the con¬ 
quered. This distinction was heightened by the 
difference of color existing between the two races : 
the former being white, and the latter black, a 
difference still visible between the Aryans and 
Non-Aryans. And hence varna (color), the term 
used by the Aryans to mark off the difference 
between themselves and the aboriginal inhabitants, 
came afterwards to be the general designation of 
all distinctions in Hindu society. The aboriginal 
inhabitants who submitted peacably to Aryan rule, 
were denominated Sudras (serfs), in contradistinc¬ 
tion to the Aryans (nobles). 

In the Vishnu Purana we find that Sudras 
and Abhiras are invariably mentioned together. 
Abhira, according to Ptolemy, is a district . . .011 
the Indus. The Sudras, therefore, were a people 
who lived in the same vicinity, on the banks of 
the same river.” This seems to be a very plausible 
explanation of the origin of Caste in India. This 
classification into grades was afterwards continued 
as necessity required. 

Those of the aboriginal tribes who chose to flee 
to the mountains rather than submit to the Aryans, 
constantly reappeared, and in hostile array fell upon 


30 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

those who had supplanted them. It thus became 
necessary to create a warrior class or Caste to pro¬ 
tect them from their enemy, and to assist in the 
further conquest of the country. Thus the Ksha- 
triya Caste also came into existence, and the heads 
of these warriors were created kings. It was, how¬ 
ever, not possible for the warrior to live without 
the farmer, who must cultivate the fields and pro¬ 
vide their subsistence. Thus came into existence 
the Vaishyas or “ householders.” And among this 
Caste were made divisions and distributions of 
occupation to cover that wide field of necessity to 
sustain him in his sphere as a whole : as smiths, 
carpenters, masons, jewelers, merchants, physi¬ 
cians, etc. “Thus gradually arose all the divi¬ 
sions of the professional and artisan classes . . . 
and each class and calling by degrees became 
exclusive, and its followers a Caste.” 

The Priestly or Brahinanical class no doubt 
began by each Aryan head of a family attending to 
the daily devotions for his household. A few of 
such, however, were gifted with such rare talents 
as to secure even the admiration of kings. “No 
wonder, for he inspired the nation with odes in 
honor of the gods; he prayed for victory on the day 
of battle, for rain in time of drought, and for all 
blessings to the friends of Indra. His prayer was 


THE HINDU: OR CASTE MAN C 3! 

apparently answered. A victory was won, a great 
drought was removed by abundance of refreshing 
showers.” Thus the “learned Bard” became 
celebrated for his poetry as well as for the power he 
was believed to have exercised with the gods, and 
consequently the influence he was believed to exert 
in the welfare of his fellow-men. The Vedas 
were being kept in the language only known to the 
learned few. As some one was needed to interpret 
these, the learned class was naturally recognized as 
the only ones capable of giving the needed aid. 
As such men were soon regarded as more than 
ordinary men, it was also supposed that their 
prayers are more efficacious than those of the 
simple head of a family. Thus 110 doubt the 
Brahman saw his first opportunity, and gradually 
extended his claims until he was regarded equal 
with the gods themselves. 

From the time that the Brahman succeeded in 
raising his prestige to so high a standard, he has 
had comparatively little trouble to hold his place. 
He is now usually regarded as the India priest, as 
the one privileged character who, on account of 
his close relations with the gods, must be indulged, 
obeyed, yea and even worshiped, by all other 
classes. 

In the accompanying illustration may be seen 


32 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN 



THE RECEPTION OF A GURU. (PRIEST), 










THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 33 

the reverence and fear with which the Brahman 
Guru is greeted. This way of showing respect is 
so instilled into the India people that those wish¬ 
ing to show much respect for their missionary fall 
down upon the ground and catch hold of his feet, 
nor can they understand when told to discontinue 
their foolish demonstrations. The Brahman takes 
such demonstrations as a matter of course, and as 
no more than what is due him, as representative of 
the gods on earth. 

Manu, in his code of laws, says: “ The Brahman, 
the Kshatriya, and the Vaishya Castes are the 
twice born ones, but the fourth, the Sudra, has no 
second birth. There is no fifth.” 

By the second birth is meant the ceremony of 
putting on the sacred thread, which is the sign or 
badge that the second birth has taken place. In 
this respect the Kshatriya and Vaishya Castes 
seem to be equal to the Brahman himself, but in 
reality he has little influence compared to the 
priestly Caste. The gods and their representatives 
are alone worthy of adoration in India. 

There are, however, innumerable sects and divi¬ 
sions among the four Castes herein mentioned; all 
of whom look upon each other as unclean cere¬ 
monially, and consequently no social relations are 
permissible, no meals can be taken together, no 
3 


34 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

intermarriages are tolerated; they are of different 
Castes, and that in itself is enough to baffle all 
social intercourse, and so will these people remain 
separated and divided until they catch the spirit of 
the Cross, and there unite in Christian brother¬ 
hood. 

THE SACRED THREAD HE WEARS. 

All those belonging to what are known as the 
“twice-born” class of India wear the “sacred 
thread.” This thread consists of three twists of 
cotton, each of which is formed of several small 
threads. These twists are quite separate to each 
other, though a part of the whole. After the 
marriage of the wearer, the thread is increased from 
three to five twists. The thread is put on at ages 
varying from about eight to fifteen years, and is 
renewed every year. The thread is suspended 
from the left shoulder to the right side. 

The young Caste man cannot get married until 
he is invested with the sacred thread. Among a 
few sects, however, the reverse is the custom, and 
the young man is not invested with the sacred 
thread until immediately after his marriage is con¬ 
summated. The ceremony or initiation which 
takes place when a young man is invested with the 
thread consists, as far as it is known to us, of the 
following form: A fire is kindled, around which all 


The HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 35 

assemble. This seems to be a very important part 
of the ceremony, and is called the “ fire worship.” 
The ceremony continues for four days, and the fire 
must be kept burning during that entire period. 
Much of the India kind of worship is gone through 
during those days, as “the repeating of various 
man trams (charms) from parts of the ritual, and 
ghee is poured on the fire as an offering. The 
father of the youth to be invested takes a thread of 
nine strands, and puts it upon his son. This is 
not the true thread (Yajnopavitam), nor does it 
have the Brahman knot, neither are mantrams said 
over it. After some time, during which various 
rites are performed, and the ears of the body are 
bored for ear rings, the ears being then adorned 
with rings of gold, after which the real thread is 
produced, a single skein of a male deer, or, if pro¬ 
curable, a long strip of this skin is used to be worn 
as a sash together with the cord. Deer skin is 
considered as very pure and also capable of impart¬ 
ing purity; for this reason untanned deer skin is 
much employed for covering the boxes, and other 
receptacles, in which are kept the household gods 
and things pertaining thereto. It is much more 
used as a mat upon which to sit when performing 
the daily rites, and at other like periods. Mention 
is made in the Smritis (the teaching of the Sages) 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


36 

of the purity acquired by wearing deer skin; there 
are several injunctions on the matter in the Laws of 
Manu, as ‘ Let the students in theology wear for 
their mantles the hides of black antelopes, of com¬ 
mon deer, or of goat, with lower vests of woven 
sana, of cshuma and of wool, in direct order of their 
class.’ (11: 41.) When the father finally puts the 
thread on his son, the following mantrain is 
repeated: 

‘This most hallowed yajnopavitam, 

In former times with Brahma born, 

Author of longevity ; weare it, it is pure, 

May this yajnopavitam become my strength and glory.’ ” 

After this the real cord is put on the young man, 
the old one is removed. It is not until the Hindu 
youth has been fully invested with the sacred 
thread that he is taught the Gayatri prayer. 
Even then the holy prayer is taught with great 
care and secrecy. A large cloth is produced and 
the father and his son throw it over their heads, 
and then the father proceeds to teach his son, by 
whispering it into his ears “so that the holy 
words may not fall upon the ears of any uninitiated 
one.” As soon as the ceremony is consummated 
the newly initiated member must proceed to ask 
alms of all present, beginning with his mother. 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 37 

This act is supposed to indicate a readiness to pro¬ 
vide for himself and his religious preceptor. The 
actual religious ceremony is now completed, but 
for three days the ceremonies are continued, while 
the youth learns the prayers and is instructed in 
the sacrifices and other rites. All such occasions 
are accompanied with feastings and outward dis¬ 
play of joy. The tom-tom (India band) is^sure to 
be there, thumping and rattling away day and 
night until the last guest leaves. These tom-toms 
very often play all night long, to the annoyance of 
all who are not interested in the shallow perform¬ 
ance. As before stated, this “sacred thread” is 
renewed once a year, but in case it is torn it must 
be replaced at once. If the Caste man should be 
so unfortunate as to touch a Pariah, he must at 
once throw away the thread he is wearing and put 
on a new one as a purifying agency (the Pariah 
being considered very unclean). 

When the old thread has become defiled no food 
can be taken until a new one is substituted ; but 
ceremonies are required to put on the new thread, 
and thus the strict Caste man is obliged frequently 
to go without anything to eat because he happened 
to meet with an out-Caste in a narrow street, or 
because he became ceremonially defiled in some 
other way. Brahmans may often be seen stepping 



38 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

aside to let a low-Caste man pass by; or, if lie is not 
inclined to step aside, he will order his inferior in 
Caste to make room for him to pass. Only a few 


A VISHNU BRAHMAN, SHOWING THE SACRED THREAD. 

days ago when the head master of a school who was 
asked to admit several young Christian boys into 
his school, in the English classes, the only question 





THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


39 


he asked was, Are they of the Pariah community? 
and when told that they were, he refused to con¬ 
sider the matter at all, saying he had no authority 
to admit any but Caste children. The Rev. Dr. 
Phillips, in his “The Teaching of the Vedas,” 
says: “It appears that in very early times the 
Aryan sacrifices in India wore a cord (mekala, 
rasana) at the sacrifices. This they did in three 
ways, corresponding to three kinds of sacrifices. 
As sacrifices made to men, it was worn around the 
neck, and called anivita; as sacrifices to the manes 
it was worn over the right shoulder, and called 
pracinavita; and at sacrifices to deities it was worn 
over the left shoulder, and was called upavita. It 
had probably a symbolical meaning, pointing to the 
cord (rasana) with which the victim was tied to the 
sacrificial post, and indicating by an unmistakable 
symbolism that the sacrificer was the real victim 
represented by the bound animal. This is prob¬ 
ably the origin of the sacred thread worn by the 
three highest classes in India at the present time.” 

THE MARKS HE PUTS ON HIS BODY. 

One of the first things to draw the attention of 
the newcomer to India is the many and peculiar 
marks with which the people cover their bodies. 
These marks are especially noticeable on the fore- 


40 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

head, on the arms, and on the chest. Some have 
horizontal lines drawn over the eyebrows, extend¬ 
ing almost from one ear to the other. 

Some have a round mark about the size of a 
large cherry on the center of the forehead, and 
some have three marks in the form of a trident 
coming to a point just over the nose, and extend¬ 
ing right and left over the forehead to the roots of 
the hair. These marks are usually put to indicate 
that the morning prayers have been said, and all 
the ceremonies gone through with in the prescribed 
manner. They are put on with a rag or piece of 
wood, and are of various colors, red, white, yellow 
and ash. 

Other marks are put on the chest, the neck and 
arms, and sometimes strict Caste men cover them¬ 
selves all over with ashes and sandal wood to show 
their piety. Young girls also frequently appear in 
public with their arms and feet painted yellow. 
This they do especially on feast days, and are said 
to regard it as ornamental. They also invariably 
paint their eyelids black for beauty. 

On the subject of Sacred Marks, Manu says: 
“ He who has no right to marks, yet gains a sub¬ 
sistence by wearing false marks of distinction, 
takes to himself the sin committed by those who 
are entitled to such marks, and shall again be born 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 41 

from the womb of a brute animal.” These marks 
may be said to be the outward distinguishing sign of 
the different Castes, but are perhaps more properly 
the sign by which it may be at once known what 
god the wearer worships. Hindus generally are 
either worshipers of Vishnu or Siva, as the worship 
of Brahma has fallen into disuse. The marks con¬ 
sequently indicate the sect of either the followers 
of Vishnu or Siva, not always by that name, but 
some incarnation or representative of the god. 

The Vishnu sects mark their foreheads with the 
trident by the use of a white paste, which becomes 
quite prominent on their dark skin. The follow¬ 
ers of Siva wear three horizontal lines across the 
forehead, which are made with sandal wood and 
sacred ashes, and very often are more ashes than 
anything else. These marks must be removed 
each day with the prescribed ceremonies. The 
materials with which to make these marks are 
kept in each Hindu home, nor can any excuse be 
offered which will exempt the orthodox Caste man 
from going through this ceremony each day. The 
marks placed on other parts of the body besides 
those on the forehead, seem to be optional, and 
also to differ in number according to the Caste or 
sect. 

The Brahman of course claims the first place, 


42 the HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

reserving for himself the right to put as many as 
thirteen, as follows: one on each arm and shoulder, 
one on the front and one on the back of the neck, 
one on the breast, one on the middle of the back, 
three on the stomach, and one on the forehead, 
with the privilege of putting one on the top of the 
head when he wishes to be very religious. The 
Kshatriyas may wear four; the Vaisyas two, and 
the Sudra only one. This law is, however, not 
obeyed, for Sudras are frequently seen almost cov¬ 
ered with these marks. 

As these Caste people hardly ever wear any 
covering for the upper part of the body, these 
marks become very prominent to the eyes of one 
brought up in the West. While preparing to give 
on paper what I have been able to get on this sub¬ 
ject, a friendly Sudra who always comes to my 
tent when I visit his village was asked to tell what 
those marks mean, and as he did not have any 
himself, to tell why he does not wear them. He 
replied that, first of all, those marks have no mean¬ 
ing at all to most of those who wear them, but are 
worn by the sons because their fathers wore similar 
marks, and said that since he has been favored 
with interviews with missionaries, he has learned 
to see the folly of those customs which have no 
meaning even to the one who practices them. 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN 


43 



A BRAHMAN AFTER PRAYERS (SIVA SECT). 



















44 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

Then turning to a fellow Sudra said: “ You know 
that I have not put a mark of any kind on my 
body for more than two years, and have I not 
gotten along as well as those who cover themselves 
with paint every day?” 

Those who wear the prescribed marks are said 
to repeat the following mantrams (prayers) while 
they are preparing to put them on : 

“ O, earth ! do thou destroy my sin, 

Whatever sin has been committed by me. 

O, earth ! thou gift of Brahma, 

Thou hast been purified with mantrams by Kasyapa. 

“ O, earth ! bestow on me physical strength, 

In thee are all things comprised, 

When my sin is driven out by thee, 

I attain unto heaven.” 

It is, however, said that a very large number of 
those who wear the sacred marks repeat no words 
at all, but content themselves with putting the 
outward sign on their bodies. By putting on 
these signs they will be regarded as good Caste 
men, and that is about all the good most expect to 
receive. There are, however, some who think 
that the very marks in themselves will have some 
effect upon their souls; the result of their super¬ 
stitious training. 

These Caste customs are the only thing in which 


m 



A POLICE CONSTABLE and SON (VISHNU SECT) 








46 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

the Hindu is watched and criticised in case he 
neglects to carry them out. A Caste man would 
appear as ridiculous to his countrymen without his 
proper Caste mark as a lady in America would to 
her sister in a bonnet two or three years old, or a 
young man in a coat made after the style worn 
by his grandfather. The dress of the Hindus is 
so little that they wear what they please, or go 
without any clothing, to suit their circumstances 
and inclinations; but not so in matters of Caste 
ceremonies and observances. These must be 
strictly followed, or the community will at once 
take up the matter and make the most of it. 

A man must be ceremoniously in style in India 
if he wishes to be popular among his countrymen. 

As will be seen from the accompanying illustra¬ 
tion, the Hindu woman wears a round mark on the 
center of her forehead. She is also sometimes seen 
to have a red line drawn perpendicularly from the 
round mark to the root of the hair. 

These are about all the marks the Caste man’s 
wife seems to wear, and this is not absolutely 
necessary, as her husband is required to perform 
all ceremonies for her. He is her priest and god, 
and thus she is entirely exempt from all religious 
ceremonies. The mark on her forehead is simply 
for beauty, and does not seem to have any signifi- 


47 



THE HINDU: OR CASTE MAN. 

0 1 


HINDU WOMEN CARRYING WATER. 












48 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

cation. It is sometimes red and sometimes black, 
according to the taste of the wearer. The folly 
and unfounded hope of deriving spiritual benefits 
by the marks and ceremonies above mentioned 
shows to what extent the Hindu has wandered 
away from the way of life, and how hopelessly he 
will be rejected at the last day, if he be not shown 
the error of his way, and turn to Him for help who 
can save to the uttermost. Oh that all who have 
found redemption in Christ could realize the state 
of thousands who are yet groping in superstition 
and darkness ! Then would the mission treasuries 
be filled with means to carry on the work among 
such with the greatest efficiency. 

HIS RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES. 

“There is not an object in heaven nor earth 
which a Hindu is not prepared to worship: sun, 
moon and stars; rocks and stones, trees, shrubs, 
and grass; sea, pools, and rivers; his own imple¬ 
ments of trade; the animals he finds most useful; 
the noxious reptiles he fears; men remarkable for 
their extraordinary qualities, for great valor, 
sanctity, virtue, or even vice; good and evil spirits, 
demons, ghosts and goblins; the spirits of departed 
ancestors; and an infinite number of semi-human 
and semi-divine existences, inhabitants of seven 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 49 

upper and seven lower worlds; each and all come 
in for a share of divine honors or a tribute of more 
or less adoration.” 

The whole Hindu faith and religious observances 
rest on the doctrine that the divine spirit, as the 
soul of the universe, is united to matter; that the 
human soul is God himself, and that the only 
means of salvation is to attain unto complete sepa¬ 
ration from the degrading influences of material 
objects. After such deliverance from matter is 
attained by abstraction of mind and separation 
from all human intercourse, as well as by bodily 
austerities, the soul will be united to the divine. 

If such deliverance is not attained to in one 
birth, it must be sought u in each future transmi¬ 
gration until obtained.” 

Mr. Ward says: “ There are two opinions among 
Hindus; some philosophies maintaining that it is 
one soul which is united to sentient creatures; 
while others support a contrary opinion, and affirm 
that human souls must be emanations from the 
great spirit, otherwise when one person obtained 
absorption into the divine nature all would obtain 
it at the same moment. The Vedantu philosophers 
teach that God exists in millions of forms, from the 
ant to Brumha, the grandfather of the gods, as one 
moon is seen at once in twenty different pans of 
4 


50 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

water.” Hinduism may be regarded as a religion 
the doctrines of which teach that the spirit of 
human beings partakes of the impurities of matter, 
and gives as its mode of purification transmigra¬ 
tion, aesthetic observances, with a possibility of 
being finally absorbed into the divine nature. Not 
every one who bears the name of Caste man can, 
however, fulfill all these conditions in a single 
birth, and most commonly seem to feel that re¬ 
peating the names of the gods, performing ablu¬ 
tions, visiting holy places, and going the daily 
round of ceremonies, is about all that an ordinary 
man can attain unto, and the rest is left to fate. 

A Brahman is quoted as having said: “Nine 
parts in ten of the whole Hindu population have 
abandoned all conscientious regard to the forms of 
their religion.” When observed outwardly, how¬ 
ever, the Caste man is a most arduous and devoted 
religious being. It has been said of him: “A 
Hindu is the most religious being in existence. 
He gets up from his bed religiously, anoints his 
body religiously, washes religiously, eats very re¬ 
ligiously, dresses religiously, sits religiously, stands 
religiously, drinks religiously, sleeps religiously, 
learns religiously, remains ignorant religiously, 
and becomes irreligious religiously.” In goinghis 
round of religious observances, the Hindu is even 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


51 


called upon to acknowledge objects like the one in 
the accompanying illustration as gods, perform 



THE GODDESS KADI. 


ceremonies and offer sacrifices before them, and 
show great respect, all because it is custom. Kali 





52 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


is said to have power to permit men to commit 
crime and to shield them from justice. To pay re¬ 
ligious worship to this terrible goddess, many 
thousands of people are yearly going to her shrine 
at Kali-Ghat, pass by her, take a look at her black 
face, and make an offering of a buffalo, a sheep or 
a kid. 

The gods acknowledged as fit to claim a place in 
Hindu worship are said to number 330,000,000. 
All these demand religious observances from the 
numerous India population. 

These idols are made some of gold, some of 
silver, some of brass, some of copper, some of 
stones, some of wood, some of clay, while some 
are little more than a red or yellow mark on the 
mud wall of the worshiper’s little hut. 

These idols are bathed and anointed with butter 
or milk by their devotees, at which time cere¬ 
monies and mantrams are also repeated. The idol 
must be decorated with flowers, and sometimes 
flowers are strewed on the ground in front of it. 
With the exception of feast days, when large 
crowds assemble, each Hindu worships “by him¬ 
self and for himself.” There is no fixed hour or 
appointed day for worship, neither does their wor¬ 
ship consist of any united or common worship like 
that of Christianity. Each man performs his own 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 53 

religious rites for his own edification and glory. 
He goes and performs the sacrifices and cere¬ 
monies the priest prescribes for him at a time con¬ 
venient to himself. 

He goes to the temple where his god is, and 
right to the inner sanctuary where the idol is 
placed, and offers what he has brought; repeats the 
mantrams he thinks appropriate for the occasion, 
and, standing before the idol with folded hands, 
repeats its name a number of times, walks back 
and forth or around it, to call the god’s attention, 
and to show his adoration. Religious observances 
in a Christian sense are unknown to the Hindu. 
u He makes no confession of sin, asks for no for¬ 
giveness, nor does he desire purity and holiness, but 
rather ceremonial perfection. He simply prays for 
riches and prosperity, asks to be delivered from 
some calamity, and requests the gods to give him a 
son—not a daughter—and prays for such other 
blessings as he craves at the time. His devotions 
are now over, and having paid the FEE to the 
officiating priest, he goes his way. But before 
doing so, he has three marks put on his forehead— 
in color and designs according to his particular 
sect—which he wears throughout the day, to show 
the world that he has worshiped, and that the 
ceremonies have been performed.” 


54 the hindu; or caste man. 

Some, instead of going to the temples to worship, 
keep large colored paintings of the different gods 
in their houses, to which flowers are offered and 
devotion shown by repeating the idol’s name. On 
festival days thousands of people throng the 
temples—not to assemble for an hour of quiet wor¬ 
ship, but to yell at the top of their voices in wild 
confusion in the most hateful manner. On such 
occasions the gods are carried or hauled about in 
the streets of the town, and the devotees follow in 
the most disorderly manner. The car on which 
the idol is placed is made in the form of a tower or 
gopura, as the illustration on page 56 shows, and 
is very heavy. These cars are always drawn by 
the DEVOTEES; hundreds of whom struggle to get 
a hold on the long ropes to which it is attached. 
These cars must not be pulled by animals. Some¬ 
times the priest orders the car to be stopped in the 
middle of the town and receives offerings in the 
name of the idol; at such times it is almost impos¬ 
sible to get anywhere near the car on account of 
the worshipers, who run up, yelling and striking 
the air in wild confusion, each trying to give his 
offering first. On all such feast days the women 
are at liberty to come out from behind the mud 
walls, though denied that privilege at other times. 

On these festal occasions the people come from 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 55 

great distances and stay several days. Many also 
send large banners as representatives to show 
honor to the idol, either by some individual or 
village. All the banners prepared in a community 
are then started for the hoey spot on the same 
day. These banners are often fifty and sixty feet 
high, and are kept from tilting over by long ropes 
attached on all sides and held by devotees. Such 
banners are often brought long distances and 
through roadless districts on bullock bandies, and 
placed in sight of the god to be honored. 

The Hindu will suspend all business for a week 
or more in order to attend some one of these popu¬ 
lar religious festivals. Families come from great 
distances, all packed into a bullock cart; or when 
that is not available, the journey is made on foot. 
Where the railroads are available, many now come 
to the nearest station and walk from there. At 
the time of the annual festival at Kortapakonda, 
seven miles from Narasarowpet, in the Madras 
Presidency, large crowds come by train and think 
it no hardship to walk from Narasarowpet. At 
this festival, in honor of Kortapa, as many as 
35,000 people assembled in 1897. The illustration 
shows a procession with banners on their way to 
the festival. 

These festivals, though regarded as religious by 


OR CASTE MAN. 



banners on the way to a festival 


















THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 57 

the Hindu, do not so impress one who has any 
idea of Christian worship. All sorts of amuse¬ 
ments, frauds, deceptions and vulgarities are there 
carried on under the guise of religion. 

There is much traffic carried on at these places, 
and all who attend try to buy something, if it is 
only a bamboo stick, to carry away as a remem' 
brance of the holy place. Carts, lumber of all 
kinds, doors, bamboos, idols, brass pots and cups, 
shoes, dress cloths and about everything that is 
ordinarily obtainable in the India village bazaar, 
is on market at these festivals. It thus assumes 
more the aspect of a fair than that of a religious 
festival. It is, however, one of the Caste man’s 
chief duties to attend some one of these festivals 
each year, and when on the ground each one fol¬ 
lows his own way of seeking merit and profit. I 
have been informed from a reliable source, that 
the ordinary Hindu will feel it his duty to attend 
at least one festival each year when all is well in 
his family, believing that by thus going the god 
will protect his household. In case of sickness or 
death in the family, however, lie will go and wan¬ 
der from shrine to shrine seeking aid. In case his 
cattle take sick and die, he will again start out 
and invoke Some god’s aid, and make some vows 
in the hope of help. If aid is not received, he will 


58 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

continue going from temple to temple spending 
his time and money in the hope of finally obtain¬ 
ing some god’s favor. If, however, all is well, 
many will only go once a year and then only with 
some meager offering. 

At these festivals may also be seen the Hindu 
who claims to have attained unto the highest state 
of holiness—the yogi —who comes along without 
any clothing on his body, but covered with paint 
and sacred ashes, goes up and down, back and 
forth through the crowd, ringing his little bell, 
singing songs and asking alms as a reward for his 
performance. 

This is the holiest of all Hindus and is so recog¬ 
nized by all classes. Many of the Caste people of 
India are still in the habit of making pilgrimages, 
either to the holy Ganges or to some noted temple. 
On such pilgrimages the pilgrim is supposed to 
go bare-footed all the way, and subject himself to 
other hardships when he wishes to obtain some 
great favor. We have learned enough of the Caste 
man to observe that there are sacrifices connected 
with nearly every religious duty of the Hindu. 
Dr. Phillips says, “According to the Vedas, Vishnu 
and Indra made the world for the sake of sacrifice. 

. . . The lord of creatures is even said to have 
created the world by means of sacrifices. . . . The 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN 


59 



THE YOGI 














60 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

first act performed by Manu after his descent from 
the ark after the deluge was to offer sacrifices. . . . 
Sacrifice is the axle of the world’s wheel and the 
fecundating power of all things. . . . It is eternal 
and universal, offered by gods as well as by men. 
Sacrifice (Yajna) is the soul of the Veda.” This 
last statement seems to be quite justifiable when 
the former are duly considered. According to the 
Veda, “ Indra chooses for his intimate friends men 
who present offerings, but desires no friendship 
with him who offers no libations. Those who offer 
particular sacrifices become Agni, Varuna or In¬ 
dra, and attain to union and to the same sphere 
with these gods, respectively. . . . Sin contami¬ 
nates not, difficulties assail not, neither does dis¬ 
tress at any time afflict the mortal to whose sacri¬ 
fice Indra and Varuna repair. 

According to the Shastras, the names of the 
deceased ancestors for six generations must be re¬ 
peated before the morning sacrifice. The person 
offering the sacrifice then goes through a short 
prescribed form of preparation, aided by the priest, 
after which he declares the purpose for which he is 
about to offer the sacrifice, and the benefit he hopes 
to receive. Mustard seed is then employed to 
drive away demons and enemies. It is said that 
the sacrifice of the horse a hundred times raises a 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 61 

person to the rank of Indra himself. Rev. W. 
Ward says: “There is a god for every possible 
purpose in India (even to cure the itch).” There 
are- deities named after the different diseases, as 
cholera, small-pox, and other dreaded diseases, and 
it is believed that the gods send sickness when 
offended. All such must be appeased by sacrifices 
and ceremonies. When rain falls a goat is offered, 
and while dying made to promise a shower of rain. 
When cattle die some god is offended. When 
trouble or distress of whatever kind comes, some 
god is offended, and some ceremony must be per¬ 
formed. Mr. Ward gives the following list of 
Hindu gods as those most commonly worshiped or 
regarded as the objects named in the Caste man’s 
religious observances: “Brahma (the creator); 
Vishnu (the preserver); Siva (the destroyer); 
Indra (the king of heaven); Yam A (the king of 
the souls of the dead); Genesha (the god of pros¬ 
perity); Kartikeya (commander-in-chief to the 
gods); Surya (the sun); Agni (the fire); Pavanu 
(god of the wind); Varuna (satisfier of the living); 
Samudra (the sea); Prithivi (the earth); The 
Heavenly Bodies; Durga (goddess of strength); 
Kali (goddess of terror); Hakshmi (goddess of 
fortune, and Vishnu’s wife); Saraswati (goddess 
of learning, another wife of Vishnu); Sheetula 


62 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

(the goddess who cools the body when afflicted 
with small-pox); Munusa (the queen of snakes); 
Sushti (goddess of fecundity).” 

These may be regarded as the celestial deities 
worshiped by the Hindu. The terrestial gods are 
as follows: 

Krishna (the intriguer); Jagannath (lord of 
the world); Rama (the beneficent deity); Choi- 
TANYA (the wise); ViSHNU-Karma (the architect of 
the gods); Kamadeva (the India Cupid); Satya- 
Narayana (god of the rich); Panchan ana (de¬ 
stroyer of children); Dharmathakoora (another 
form of Siva); Kalu-Raga (the god of forests); 
Krishna Kadi and combined gods (combined 
bodies of several deities into one form, to show 
that the great spirit and matter are one); worship 
of human beings (Brahmans and other spiritual 
guides); worship of animals (the cow, the 
monkey, the dog, the jackal, and other animals); 
WORSHIP OF BIRDS (the Garura, the carrier of 
Vishnu, the peacock, the goose, the owl, and 
others); worship of trees (the Hindu does not 
worship groves, but several sacred trees); river 
worship (of whom Ganga is the greatest, in which 
to die is sure to secure heaven); worship of fish 
(of all kinds); worship of books (are regarded as 
divine); worship of stone (the Linga of Vishnu 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 6j 

and other gods are only shapeless stones); the 
RICE POUNDER (this and other implements and 
tools are also worshiped by the Hindu). 

Such are the objects which demand religious 
observances from the Caste man of India, all of 
which he fears to a greater or less degree. Such 
is the deplorable state into which the mind sinks 
on renouncing the unity of God. While speaking 
to a large crowd of Caste people in a village on the 
text “What must I do to be saved?” a Brahman 
came and interrupted by saying, “Sir, do you 
mean to tell us to throw away the gods we have 
been serving, and follow this doctrine of which you 
speak?” When asked to speak of his gods in the 
light of the subject under consideration, he tried to 
evade a reply by saying, “I do not understand 
you.” All present were then asked to answer the 
question, and when asked if they have any gods 
who can give them redemption, they replied, 
almost to a man, “Our gods cannot give us such re¬ 
demption as you speak of.” The Brahman was then 
asked if he could contradict what he had heard. 
He replied that it was already very hot, and he 
feared that I could not endure the heat if he de¬ 
tained me any longer. This brought forth a laugh 
from the assembled crowd at the Brahman’s 
expense, and he disappeared. 


64 the HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

Many know that the ceremonies which they per¬ 
form before an idol cannot be of any real benefit to 
them, but as that is the way all their forefathers 
had done, and because Caste enjoins such obser¬ 
vances, they do not have the courage to make any 
change. The religious observances of the Caste 
man begin at his birth. His father is commanded 
to take a piece of gold in his hand on first visiting 
his new-born son, “and with fire, produced by 
rubbing two pieces of wood together, to offer a sac¬ 
rifice to Brahma, and then anoint the forehead of 
the child with clarified butter left on the fingers at 
the close of the sacrifice. The mother must sit 
near the altar and receive the scent of the offering, 
having the child in her arms. To secure the 
strength of the child, clarified butter and curds 
must be burned and mantrams repeated. The 
father must also tie a string of seven or nine 
threads, and five blades of doorva grass around the 
waist of the child, and sprinkle water on his fore¬ 
head with blades of kooshu grass. He must also 
present oil and betel nut to ten or twelve married 
families, and entertain them at his home.” This 
is the ceremony of the good Hindus, but is not 
strictly observed. Those who have the fire kindled 
at their birth are burnt at their death, with the 
following ceremonies and sacrifices: 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 65 

U A burnt offering with clarified butter, after 
which the corpse is washed and laid upon the 
altar, and the person officiating puts some of the 
butter to the mouth of the deceased, after which 
the fire is made to surrouud the body and a man- 
tram (prayer) is repeated, to the effect that all 
the sins collected in the body may be destroyed 
by the fire, and the person attain an excellent 
heaven. ’ ’ 

It may be well to note here, that all the Hindu 
Caste man’s religious observances proceed from a 
desire to propitiate angry gods, and ward off evil, 
and from a desire to lay up personal merit or gain. 
The strict orthodox Caste man must rise before 
daybreak. “According to the Dharma Shastra 
rules, this should be two hours before sunrise. 
The Dharma Shastra is a written code minutely 
regulating the daily life of the Hindu. His first 
thoughts, on waking from slumber, are directed 
to the deity whom he particularly worships. He 
will sit for some time in silent contemplation, 
occasionally repeating a verse or two in praise of 
Krishna, and Rama, and Siva, as the case may be; 
and perhaps a prayer for divine help. He does not 
repeat these verses from the Vedas, as he has not 
yet bathed and no words from those sacred writ¬ 
ings must pass the lips while thus unpurified.” 

5 


66 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


The following are a few verses said to be used at 
such early hours: 

“O thou infant, thou dark blue bodied one with tinkling 
bells 

In rows upon thy loins; thou naked one, 

Adorned with jewels set with tiger’s claws, 

Thou son of Nanda, thou stealer of butter, I adore thee! 

“O thou deliverer from all evil, 

Thou giver of all good things! 

O Rama, thou admirer of the whole world, 

Again and again I adore thee ! 

“May he whose head is adorned with the moon, 

Who wears an ornament, the serpent Visukihi : 

May Siva be propitious, 

He who is expert in dancing.” 


After this divine contemplation he will proceed 
for a short walk to some secluded place outside the 
town or village, and upon his return, before going 
in doors, he will carefully wash his feet and legs 
and rinse his mouth many times with water; all 
this is necessary before he can touch anything or 
speak to any one. The next operation is to clean 
the teeth. This is always a very important item 
of the toilet, and if one may judge from the air of 
satisfaction with which it is done, it must be a 
very enjoyable one. The Hindu does not use a 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 67 

brush for this purpose, as he cannot again put 
to his mouth that which has once been so used. 
The saliva is regarded as very defiling. He con¬ 
sequently uses a small twig or root instead of a 
brush, and when he has finished, throws it away. 
A small branch of the margosa tree is often used 
for this purpose. But women are not permitted to 
use anything in cleaning their teeth but their FIN¬ 
GERS. This process of cleaning teeth is always 
gone through outside the house along the streets, 
or near some well or tank. When the teeth are 
cleaned, the Caste man proceeds to his ablutions 
and morning ceremonies. For this purpose a 
river or some running water is always preferred, 
but when such are not available, a tank or well 
may answer. 

Here he takes his bath, if at a river, by going 
into the water some distance, and if at a well, he 
will draw some water and pour it over himself. 

Before taking his bath he invokes the sacred 
rivers thus: 

“O Ganges ! oh, Junna ! 

O Godavery ! oh Sarasvati! 

O Namade ! oh Indus! oh Cavery ! 

Be ye present in this water.” 

This ceremony usually takes place about sun- 


68 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

rise, and the worshiper, turning toward the east, 
pours three libations to the sun, repeating man- 
trams while pouring. In the Caste man’s relig¬ 
ious observances, sacrifices hold a prominent 
place. 

Neither will their gods be appeased without 
these sacrifices. I once passed through a village in 
which small-pox was raging, and a number of peo¬ 
ple died of the plague. The people held out for 
some days, but finally called the people to ask of 
the peddalu (elders) what was the cause of all this 
calamity. It was determined by these sages that 
Amavari (the goddess of small-pox) must be 
offended, and that nothing but sacrifice would ever 
avert the terrible scourge which she was sending 
upon them; at once a few men were sent to a village, 
some sixteen miles away, to get such articles as are 
acceptable to the goddess, and the sacrifices were 
duly offered. The disease had run its course and 
abated, but Amavari was believed to have been in¬ 
strumental, and believed to have accepted their 
offerings. 

Whatever calamity may come upon the supersti¬ 
tious Hindu, it is believed to have its cause in 
some offended god, who is bringing the trouble as 
a punishment. 

In this way one could go the whole round of 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 69 

human experience and show that the Hindu’s re¬ 
ligious observances are not acts of devotion, 
prompted by religious motives, but are either mer¬ 
cenary or prompted by fear. 

When we reflect on what we have observed re¬ 
garding the Caste man of India, it becomes evident 
that the words of St. Paul are as true now as when 
spoken, “The world by wisdom knew not God.” 
The India people, in trying by their own wisdom 
to become the favored of God, have foolishly and 
hopelessly gone astray. 

The human mind cannot grasp religious truths 
with any degree of certainty beyond experience, 
neither can any experience satisfy the mind in relig¬ 
ious matters save as it comes from an authoritative 
revelation from the Author of our being. 
Even Socrates admits that he “knew only this, 
that he knew nothing.” This is one lesson which 
the people of India must learn by comparing the 
superior wisdom of the Inspired Volume with 
their own dwarfed superstitious ideas. This work 
must be accomplished by the missionary of the 
Cross. Until such superior wisdom is inculcated 
and made the standard by which to live, the Caste 
man of India will remain in darkness performing 
his RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES to many gods. 

The Christian’s duty toward such is made clear 


70 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

in the 28th chapter of Matthew’s gospel. Oh ! 
that it were so impressed on each disciple’s mind as 
to urge to works, and the emancipation of the 
millions of souls yet in the shackles of heathenism. 
The blood of these will be required of us who have 
been redeemed. May God open our eyes to duty, 
and give grace to perform it; then shall the day of 
the L,ord be hastened, and the millions of India 
bow their knees and acknowledge Christ as Lord 
of all. 


CHAPTER II. 


THE GODS HE WORSHIPS. 

Dubois says: “It would be a work of volumes to 
enter into a detailed account of the babbles that re¬ 
late to the different deities which the Hindu adores, 
for there is scarcely an object in nature, living or 
inanimate, to which the Hindus do not offer wor¬ 
ship.” There are, however, three distinguished 
gods whom they especially venerate under the 
names of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. When wor¬ 
shiped in union they form the Trimurti, and are 
also separately adored with peculiar rites. These 
three gods have given birth to an infinite number 
besides, and the Hindu, in all things extravagant, 
has shown this disposition nowhere more conspicu¬ 
ously than in the number of the divinities formed. 
“They have gone far beyond all other idolatrous 
nations in this particular, as they reckon no less 
than thirty-three koti of gods, each koti being 
equal to ten millions, so that the whole number 
amounts to three hundred and thirty-three mil¬ 
lions.” 


72 the HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

We shall, however, content ourselves with intro¬ 
ducing the reader to a few of the most commonly 
worshiped of these many India idols. The Tri- 
murti, worshiped by the Hindu, equals the three 
most common gods now worshiped, namely, 
Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. This represents three 
powers: Creation, Preservation and Destruction. 
Creation was effected by Brahma; Vishnu is the 
preserver of all things, and Siva the destroyer. 
“ These three deities are sometimes represented 
singly, with their peculiar attributes, and some¬ 
times blended into one body with three heads, as 
in the illustration. It is in this state that they are 
known by the name of Trimurti or three powers.” 

The Trimurti is adored by all classes of Hindus. 
And although some Castes attach themselves in a 
special manner and almost exclusively to the sect 
of Vishnu or of Siva, yet these gods are united 
with Brahma and form but one body, they pay 
united worship to all three, without regard to the 
particular doctrines which distinguish the special 
followers of the different deities. 

Where this Trimurti originated from it is diffi¬ 
cult to ascertain. “In some Puranas it is declared 
to have sprung from a woman called Adi-Sakti or 
original power, who brought forth the three gods; 
and the fable adds, that after having brought them 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 73 

into the world, she became desperately in love 
with them and took her three sons for husbands.” 
I11 other Puranas the origin of the Trimiirti is dif¬ 
ferently accounted for. I11 the Bhagavata, it is 



THE TRIMURTI. 


stated that a flower of the Ta Marai, or lily of the 
lake, grew out of the navel of Vishnu and that 
Brahma sprang from the flower. 

In others it is said to have originated from Adi 
Sakti, who produced a seed from which Siva 







74 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

sprang, who was father of Vishnu. But it must 
be allowed that the fable of Triinurti or of the 
chief deities being united into one body, is less 
consistently supported than any other doctrine in 
their books, it being declared that there is no 
agreement in what is taught on this subject. 

“The point which the whole of them discuss 
most diffusely, is what relates to the debaucheries 
and abominable amours of the three deities in their 
combined form.” The Trimurti is, however, not 
so great and powerful as not to sometimes suffer at 
the hands of the other gods, who become shocked 
at the shameful immoralities practiced by the 
Trimurti. Anasuya is a female deity renowned 
for her virtue, and power over the three-god deity. 
Having heard of the virtue and chastity of this 
deity, the Trimurti became enamored of her, and 
disguised as beggars, went to ask alms. She at 
once gave them something. “ The pretended beg¬ 
gars then proceeded to urge their suit. Anasuya, 
amazed and terrified at language to which she had 
been so little accustomed, took vengeance by pro¬ 
nouncing certain mantrams over her suitors and 
sprinkling them with holy water of such effici¬ 
ency as to convert the Trimurti into a calf. 
The transformation of the gods being complete, 
she yielded to the tenderness of her nature and 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 75 

nurished the falling with her own milk.’ 1 The 
Trimurti remained in this humiliating state of 
servitude until the female deities, apprehending 
some unpleasant accident from the absence of their 
three principal gods, consulted with each other 
and determined upon employing all the means in 
their power to relieve themselves from the de¬ 
graded condition into which they had fallen. 
They went, therefore, in a body in quest of Ana- 
suya, whom they humbly besought to give up the 
Trimurti and restore the three gods to their accus¬ 
tomed splendor. This petition of the goddesses 
was granted with great hesitancy, and only upon 
the hardest of all conditions. But they chose 
rather to lose their honor than their gods. They 
discharged the penalty (what it was the story does 
not say), and the virgin restored the Trimurti to 
their original state and allowed them to return to 
their ancient residence. 

The Hindu books abound in stories of this kind 
regarding the Trimurti. The one related is one 
of the least indecent among them. Idolatry among 
the Hindus undoubtedly began by the worship 
of the sun, moon and stars and other objects of 
nature. Then they were led to deifying heroes 
and other prominent mortals, and through this 
practice were induced to set up idols or images, 


76 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

which were worshiped in course of time, and then, 
still not content, they put their gods in bodily 
form to satisfy the superstition of an ignorant 
people. 

With such as the Trimurti as the first of the 
millions of the India gods, we cannot but be 
amazed that so many millions of India’s people are 
still bowing their heads to idle immoral tales in 
the belief that corresponding gods exist. 

BRAHMA, THE HIGHEST OF THE INDIA GODS. 

Brahma, the greatest of the Hindu gods, was 
born with five heads. He is, however, represented 
with only four now, having lost one in the heated 
contest with Siva, for undue intimacy with his 
wife Parvati. For this offence Siva could not be 
appeased until he chopped off one of Brahma’s 
heads. I11 another account it is stated that Siva, 
in the form of Kali Bhairava, tore off Brahma’s 
fifth head for having declared himself Brahma, the 
eternal and omnipotent one; cause of all the 
world and even creator of Siva. 

“His wife was his own daughter, Saraswati, 
whom he keeps in his mouth.” It is said that no 
temples are built, and no sacrifices made to 
Brahma because he violated the most sacred laws 
of nature. Others say Brahma is neglected in wor- 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 77 

ship because he was deficient in respect to a peni¬ 
tent when he entered into the regions of bliss. 

To Brahma are, however, ascribed, first, the 
creation of all things; and, secondly, he is supposed 
to be the giver of all gifts and blessings; and, 
thirdly, he is believed to control the destinies 
of man. “He also possesses the power of grant¬ 
ing the gift of immortality to whomsoever he 
pleases.” 

Being the author of all things, he is conse¬ 
quently the creator of man, who is said to have 
sprung from different parts of his body. The 
Brahmans, from the head ; the Rajas, from the 
shoulders; the Merchants, from the belly, and 
the Farmers (Sudras) from the feet. 

These are the four castes of India ; and are 
held in importance and dignity in accordance with 
the part of the body from which they sprang. A 
Brahman, who sprang from the head, would not 
be guilty of taking a meal with a Raja, who is 
from the shoulder. And so with each of the other 
Castes. 

No qualification or merit, either intellectual or 
moral, can atone for the accident of birth. A 
native of India cannot rise above his birth in 
Caste. He can, by not obeying the Caste rules, 
become an out-Caste, but can never rise beyond 


78 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

the part of Brahma’s body from which his Caste is 
fabled to have sprung. 

Another Hindu fable of the creation of man is, 
that Brahma created man at first with only one 
foot, but as that did not answer, he tried a second 
time, going to the opposite extreme and made 



BRAHMA AND HIS WIRE. 


three feet, which also proved unsatisfactory, so he 
destroyed both these models and created the form 
with two legs. 

The Hindu seems to be quite content with such 
stories, and their heroes they accept as gods. 
























THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 79 

THE GOD VISHNU. 

The worship of Vishnu extends far and wide in 
India, and it is believed that he has a greater num¬ 
ber of worshipers than any other of the India gods. 
The worshipers of Vishnu are divided into many 
sects or classes, called Matarn. Of these, each 
Matam has its own system, as sacrifices, mantrams 
and peculiar signs. The most numerous of these 
sects is the one whose members bear the mark of 
the Numa, or three perpendicular lines on their 
foreheads, as a sign of their devotion to their deity. 

Vishnu is known as “the redeemer and pre¬ 
server of all things.” The other gods, not except- 
ing Brahma, have often required his assistance, 
and but for his powerful hand, would have per¬ 
ished. “His title of preserver of all things, has 
made it necessary for him, on different occasions, 
to assume various forms which the Hindu calls 
Avataras, which we will better understand by 
calling it incarnations. There are ten of these 
incarnations reported, and I shall give a brief 
account of each. 

The first Avatara takes its rise from the follow¬ 
ing accident: Brahma one day, being overpowered 
with fatigue, fell asleep. The four books, called 
the vedas, which had been assigned to his partic¬ 
ular care, seeing their guardian completely sunk 


80 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

in somnolency, took advantage of the opportunity 
and effected their escape. All unprotected, they 
were met on the way by the giant called Haya- 
griva, who laid hold of them, and in order to 
secure so precious a treasure, swallowed them and 
put them next to his heart. But to avoid all dan¬ 
ger of detection, he concealed himself in the waters 
of the great ocean. When Vishnu heard of the 
loss that Brahma had sustained, and that the giant 
was the robber, he departed from his abode and 
followed his enemy into the waters in the form of 
a fish. This is the first Avatara. (Incarnation). 

After a long search he found’ him at last in the 
deepest abyss of the sea, and there attacking him 
with fury, overcame him, and penetrating into his 
bowels, there found the Vedas and restored them to 
Brahma, their keeper. 

The second Avatara was into a tortoise, and was 
brought about as follows: While the gods and the 
giants were at open war, the giants were victorious 
over the celestials, whom they treated with 
severity. In this disastrous state the gods were 
satisfied to obtain peace on any terms their ene¬ 
mies might offer. 

Having concluded a treaty, they lived in appar¬ 
ent amity, but the gods were all the while secretly 
invoking Vishnu to protect them from their dan- 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 


8l 


gerous enemies. He granted their prayers, and at 
the same time ordered them to pull up the mountain 
Mandara Parvata and cast it into the sea. In exe¬ 
cuting this task, some of the gods were so fatigued 
as to be incapable of proceeding, which Vishnu per¬ 
ceiving, flew to their aid on the wings of the bird 
Garuda, his vehicle, and fixed the mountain in the 
sea of curdled milk. Afterwards the gods being 
desirous to navigate the sea, made a ship of mount 
Mandara, and having taken a serpent for a rope 
they fastened one end of it to the head of one of 
the stoutest of their number, and the other end to 
the right arm of the second. While they were 
thus towing mount Mandara as a ship, the gods who 
were in it began to perceive that it was sinking. 
They at once put out their fervent supplications to 
Vishnu, the preserver, to rescue them from the 
danger in which they found themselves. Vishnu 
again flew to their relief. Seeing them all about to 
perish, he metamorphosed himself into a tortoise, 
plunged into the water, and supported the sinking 
mountain on his back. 

The third Avatara was his transformation into a 
boar. Having assumed this form he penetrated 
the earth with his snout in pursuit of the giant 
Hinanyaksha, who was the common enemy of 
mankind, and killed him. 

6 


82 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

The fourth Avatara is called Nara-sing, or man 
LION. In this form he slew the brother of the 
giant Hiranyaksha, “tore open his belly with his 
lion’s claws, sucked his blood, and extracted his 
bowels, which he afterwards twisted around his 
neck as a trophy of his victory.” 

The fifth Avatara was into a dwarf. The giant 
Bali, always terrible in his wars with the gods, had 
already subdued three worlds, and reduced the 
gods he found there into the hardest subjection. 
Vishnu being desirous of delivering so many gods 
from their savage enemy, changed himself into a 
dwarfish Brahman and visited Bali, soliciting a bit 
of ground no bigger than three prints of his little 
foot, which he said he required to offer sacrifices 
upon. The request appeared ludicrous to the 
giant, and was granted without any hesitation. 
Vishnu then immediately assumed his god-like 
form, and with one footstep covered the whole 
earth, with another, elevated in the air, he over¬ 
shadowed the whole space between the earth and 
the firmament, and nothing being left to receive 
the third impression, he trod upon the giant’s 
head and hurled him down to the infernal Patala. 

The sixth Avatara was a transformation into 
Parasu or Rama, by which Vishnu became the son 
of Jamadagni and Renuki. His father Jamadagni 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 83 

having been slain by the giant Kirtaniryanarqana, 
he conquered not only him, but twenty-one other 
kings as well, all of which he put to death. 

The seventh Avatara is a transformation into the 
hero Rama-Chandra. In this form he enrolled the 
army of Apes, and fought Ravana, and conquered 
the island Lanka or Ceylon. 

The eighth Avatara is Krishna. This transfor¬ 
mation took place as follows : The king of Mutra, 
by name Kansa, was a great enemy to cows and 
Brahmans. Mutra is situated north of Agra. In 
order to get justice the gods all appealed to 
Vishnu, who gave ear to their request, and pluck¬ 
ing off two of his own hairs said they would 
become incarnations to destroy Kansa. “The 
white hair became Balarama, and the black one 
Kristna.” This is the most popular of all the later 
deities in India, and has obtained such popularity 
that his worshipers look upon him not simply as 
an incarnation, but as a full manifestation of 
Vishnu. 

The ninth Avatara is the transformation into 
Buddha. This Avatara took place “ to effect a 
compromise between Brahmanism and Buddhism, 
by trying to represent the latter religion as not 
irreconcilably antagonistic to the former.’’ 

The tenth Avatara is a transformation into a 


Hi 


84 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN 



the; te;n avataras of vishnu. 















































THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 85 

horse. This last Avatara has not yet taken place. 
The Hindus are, however, looking for it, and ex¬ 
pect it with the same confidence that a Jew looks 
for the coining of the Messiah. “The tenth Ava¬ 
tara they hope will be the greatest of all. No 
period has been assigned for its manifestation, nor 
is it stated how it will be brought about; it is, 
however, believed by Hindus that when it takes 
place the age of happiness will be restored.” 

THE GOD SIVA. 

Siva is also known by the name Iswara, Rudra, 
and a thousand other names, such as Maha Deva 
(great god), Trilochana (three-eyed one), Tripurari 
(destroyer), Sambhu (the self-existing one), etc. 

He is usually represented under a terrible form, 
as a symbol of his power to destroy all things. To 
augment the horror of his appearance, his body is 
covered with ashes and his large eyes give him the 
appearance of rage. His ears are adorned with 
great serpents, as jewels. His principal attribute 
is the power of universal destruction. His history 
is a string of absurd stories, mostly relating adven¬ 
tures and wars with the giants, his jealousy in 
opposition to the other gods, and his infamous 
amours. 

In one of his wars against the giants he cleft the 


86 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

world in twain and took one-half for his armor. 
Brahma was the general of his army and the Vedas 
were his horses. Vishnu was his arrow and the 
mountain Mandara Parvata was his bow, while 
a mighty serpent was used as a string. Thus 
equipped, the mighty Siva and his armies destroyed 
the three fortresses which the tyrants of the earth 
had constructed, and demolished them in a mo¬ 
ment. He had great difficulty in obtaining a wife; 
but having made a long and austere penance, the 
Mountain Parvata was so affected as to consent to 
give him his daughter in marriage. Siva wears a 
necklace of bones and skulls, and carries a skull in 
his hand. The Siva Puranas gives the following 
explanation of them : “At the end of Kalpa, Siva 
destroys Brahma and Vishnu with the rest of crea¬ 
tion, and wears their skulls and bones as a gar¬ 
land. The skull which he holds in his hand is 
from the central head of Brahma, which he cut off. 
He is consequently called Kapali. The ashes with 
which he smears himself were produced as follows: 
At the end of one of the early Kalpas, Siva reduced 
Brahma to ashes by a spark out of his central eye 
and rubbed them on his body as an ornament. 
Hence the saying of the Saivas, “without beauty 
is the head destitute of ashes.” “A feeling of 
modesty, found in all men, except the lowest sav- 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 87 

ages, requires certain parts of the body to be cov¬ 
ered. Among the Saivas, such are forms of wor¬ 
ship.” 

The Hindu people are cleanly, as a rule, but the 
Saivas are often filthy, and the beggars of that 
class often wander about without clothing 011 their 
bodies. That such men are regarded as holy, is 
enough to show the standard of Hinduism in the 
light of civilization. 

THE GOD INDRA. 

The god Indra is supposed to be king of the 
inferior deities, who abide with him “in the para¬ 
dise called Swarga, or seat of sensual pleasure; for 
in this voluptuous abode no other are known.” 
Indra rides an elephant, and has an instrument 
called the vajra for his weapon of offense. “The 
color of his garment is red.” 

There are thirty-two different kinds of weapons 
assigned to the Hindu deity, all of which appear 
to have been used in warfare in ancient times. 
Some of these are missile, such as the arrow; some 
are defensive, as the shield; but it is difficult to 
explain in the English language the form of the 
different sorts of arms used in battle by the ancient 
Hindus, and now found in the hands of their idols. 
“Some seem to be calculated to stab, some to hack 


88 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

and some to fell; others seem to be intended for 
grappling, and some to ward off.” 

The following is a table of the gods presiding 
over the eight divisions of the universe, according 
to the Hindu idea : 

Indra, of the East; rides an elephant. Agni, of 
the Southeast; rides a ram. Yama, of the South ; 
rides a buffalo. Varuna, of the West; rides a 
crocodile. Nilut, of the Southwest; rides a man. 
Vaya, of the Northwest; rides the antelope. Ku- 
vera, of the North ; rides a horse. Isana, of the 
Northeast; rides a bull. 

Thus are the India gods supposed to preside 
over the universe, and conveyed by different ani¬ 
mals and man. When will the Hindu be taught 
to know the one true God who created all things 
and needs no earthly help? 

THE GOD GANESA. 

The god Ganesa is said to be the son of Siva and 
Parvati. The gods came to see him soon after his 
birth. Sani, or Saturn, held down his head, and 
would not look at the child on account of his evil 
influence. Parvati did not think of this and 
scolded Sani, so Sani looked up, and immediately 
Ganesa’s head was reduced to ashes. 

Parvati, seeing her child headless, was overcome 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 89 

with grief, and would have killed Sani, but 
Brahma prevented her, and told Sani to go out and 
bring the head of the first animal he should meet 



lying with his head northward. He found an 
elephant in this position, cut off his head, and 
fixed it on Ganesa. Parvati was little soothed 





9 ° 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


when she saw her son with an elephant’s head; 
but to please her Brahma promised that Ganesa 
should be the first worshiped of all the gods. 

School-boys in South India are said to pray 
Ganesa to help them in their studies, and praise 
him by telling him how much he can eat. His 
image is in many temples, and this hideous ab¬ 
surdity seems indeed to be among the first wor¬ 
shiped among the Hindu. 

THE GOD KRISHNA. 

Krishna, the son of Vasudeva and Devaki, was 
born at midnight, and in order to save his life, had 
to be concealed from king Kansa, who had been 
told by a voice from heaven that he would die at 
the hands of this eighth son of Vasudeva. His life 
was attempted the second time when a beautiful 
woman, a female demon Putana, was sent to nurse 
him with poison on her breast. Krishna, however, 
knowing the treachery, sucked her life with the 
milk until she fell dead to the ground. Krishna 
and Balalma are said to have been cow-herds in 
the village of Gokula or Braja. They found special 
delight in thieving and libertinism. They used to 
amuse themselves by going into the houses of the 
cow-herds and stealing butter, some of which they 
ate, and threw the remainder about the house. This 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS, 


91 



KRISHNA WITH BUTTER 











92 the HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

they did day after day, until some of the cow herds 
concealed themselves in the house and caught 
them. But though caught, they tried to clear 
themselves by falsehoods. “ Krishna’s chief pleas¬ 
ures were associated with plunder and lewdness.” 

He had sixteen wives and sixteen thousand con¬ 
cubines. He had many sons, but fearing lest 
they might league against him and deprive him of 
his power, he murdered them all. He was a great 
warrior, and conducted many campaigns against 
the Giants. The life of Krishna is given in a 
book called the Bhagavatta. The Abbe Dubois 
says of this book: “ In obscenity, there is nothing 
that can be compared with the Bhagavatta. It is 
nevertheless the delight of the Hindu, and the first 
book they put in the hands of their children when 
learning to read, as if they deliberately intended to 
lay the basis of a dissolute education.” 

Kaliya, the snake king, lived in a pool in the 
Jumna. Krishna leaped into the pool, took out 
the snake, trampled upon his hood until blood 
gushed out of his mouth, and afterwards permitted 
him to go back to the ocean. In ancient times 
Iudra was considered chief of the gods of India; 
but Krishna taught the cowherds that they ought 
to make the cattle by whicii they subsist their 
chief divinity. Indra, angry because he was 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 


93 



KRISHNA WITH THE SNAKE. 





















94 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

neglected, poured a mighty flood of water upon 
the people, but Krishna protected them by holding 
up a mountain as an umbrella for seven days with 
one of his fingers. 

Though Krishna is accused of many immoral 
acts and thefts, his worshipers excuse him on the 
ground that he was a god, and could, therefore, do 
as he pleased. It is stated in the Mahabharata 
that “Krishna, Balarama, their wives and chil¬ 
dren and all the Yadavas, with abundance of wine 
and meat, went to Prabasa to hold a great feast. 
Becoming intoxicated they began to fight. Father 
killed sons and sons fathers. All the sons of 
Krishna perished. Only he and Balarama were 
left alive, and they resolved to become ascetics. 
Balarama soon after died, and while Krishna was 
reclining in the forest a hunter mistook the im¬ 
mortal for an animal and pierced his foot with an 
arrow, causing his death.” 

Thus ended the life of one of India’s most wor¬ 
shiped and most popular gods. His life, according 
to the sacred India writings, was one of theft, 
immorality, deception and general wickedness, 
and yet the credulous Hindu clings to him as to 
a real god ; for no other reason than because cus¬ 
tom has by its Eastern power firmly established 
his right to a place among the divinities of India. 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 


95 


We must, however, remember in this connection 
that the Hindus are a priest-ridden people, and 
compelled by caste laws to conform to a despotic 
system, nor dare they openly disavow their allegi¬ 
ance to any of the gods recognized by their priests 
and teachers. But for this outward power to hold 
the Hindu ranks together religiously, I have every 
reason to believe that Krishna would have but 
few worshipers to-day among intelligent Hindus. 
Many have learned to their entire satisfaction that 
Christ, not Krishna, is worthy of worship and 
man’s confidence, but, alas! they have not yet 
acquired strength of character to stand up before 
their fellow men and confess. May God imbue all 
such with grace and power to overcome every diffi¬ 
culty and confess their Saviour before men. This 
must be brought about, humanly speaking, by 
constant preaching of His Word and impressing 
the necessity of such open confession. Oh ! that 
each member of the Church of Christ knew and 
performed the full share allotted in this work, then 
would Krishna soon be doomed to loose his hold 
upon the Hindu, and Christ be glorified. 

HANUMANTA. 

Hanumanta, or monkey god, is one of the strange 
deities of India. It is perhaps considered sacred 



96 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

because it resembles the human being. It seems 
to have been worshiped by the aborigines first of 


HANUMANTA (MONKEY GOD.) 










THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 97 

all, and afterwards adopted by the Brahmans as 
well. 

Hanumanta is a common village god. A little 
label containing his image may be seen suspended 
from almost every child’s neck, showing with what 
confidence and faith the Hindu looks to him. 

This god could assume any form at will, hurl 
stones and rocks, remove mountains, put the sun 
into one of his armpits, and dart through the air 
like lightning. Surasi, a giantess, tried to swallow 
him, but Hanumanta stretched himself so much 
that her mouth was a hundred yajanas wide, then 
he suddenly shrank to the size of a thumb, darted 
through her, and came out of her right ear. No 
one but the superstitious Hindu could either be¬ 
lieve such fables or worship, as a god, such a being. 

KALI. 

Kali is the wife of Siva and the daughter of the 
Himalaya Mountains. She is both a mild and 
fierce character, and is most generally worshiped as 
the goddess of terror. In her mild form she is 
known as Uma (light); Parvati (the mountaineer). 
In her fierce form she is Durga (the inaccessible); 
Kali (the black); the fierce; the terrible. 

Kali is supposed to be a dark, black woman with 
fotir arms. I11 one hand she holds a sword; in 
7 


98 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

another the head of a giant she has slain, and with 
the other two she beckons to her worshipers. Her 
ear-rings are two dead bodies, and her necklace is 
made of skulls, and her girdle, the only clothing 
she wears, is made of dead men’s hands. 

The following is a list of the offerings pleasing 
to Kali: The flesh of the antelope and rhinoceros 
give delight for 500 years. By human sacrifices at¬ 
tended by the forms laid down, she is pleased for 
1,000 years, and by the sacrifice of three men, 100,- 
000 years. An oblation of blood which has been ren¬ 
dered pure by holy texts is equalto ambrosia; the 
head and flesh also afford much delight. Blood 
drawn from the offerer’s own body is also regarded 
as a proper oblation to the goddess. 

Let the worshiper repeat the name Kali twice, 
and say, Hail Devi, goddess of thunder, hail iron 
sceptred goddess! Let him then take the axe in 
his hand and again invoke the same by the Kala- 
ratri text, as follows: Let the sacrifices say, 
“Hrang, Hrang, Kali, Kali! O horrid toothed 
goddess. Eat, cut, destroy, cut with thy axe, bind, 
bind; seize, drink blood. Speng, speng—secure, 
secure. Salutation to Kali.” The axe being in¬ 
voked by this text, called the Kalaratri Mantra, 
Kalaratri herself, presides over the axe uplifted for 
the sacrifice’s enemy. An enemy may be itnmo- 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 


99 


lated by proxy, substituting a buffalo or a goat, 
and calling the victim by the name of the enemy 



kau. 


through the entire ceremony, thereby infusing, by 
holy texts, the soul of the enemy into the body of 





IOO THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

the animal, which will, when immolated, deprive 
the foe of all life also. 

u Let the sacrificer say, O goddess of horrid 
form. Eat and devour such an one my enemy. 
Consorted fire come, salutation to fire. This is the 
enemy who has done me mischief, now personated 
by an animal: destroy him, O Maharani.” Mur¬ 
derers and robbers make sacrifices to Kali before 
starting on their journeys of plunder, in the belief 
that she will protect them against detection. 

JAGANNATH. 

This wonderful idol is regarded as Lord of the 
world. The following is one legend with refer¬ 
ence to his origin : When Krishna was shot, it is 
supposed his body was left to rot under a tree, at 
which place some pious personages found his 
bones and placed them in a box. A king, Inrad- 
yumna by name, was directed by Vishnu to form 
an image of Jagannath, and place the bones of 
Krishna inside. The king prayed to Vivvakaruna 
to assist him ; this he promised to do on condition 
that he should not be disturbed. The king prom¬ 
ised, but became impatient after fifteen days and 
went to see Vivvakaruna, who became very wroth 
and discontinued work before he had made hands 
and feet for the idol; consequently the image has 
only stumps. 


the: gods the eiindu worships. 


IOI 


This unsightly idol without hands or feet has 
become the object of much reverence in the north¬ 
east of India. 

The idol has large round eyes, a straight head- 



JAGANNATH DRESSED. 


line, a square nob on top of his head, and is black 
in color. The nose is large and hooked, and his 
mouth crescent-shaped. This idol is usually about 






102 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 



six feet in height. How any one can accept such 
an image with such a history as a god fit to receive 
the homage of human beings, is difficult to under- 


JAGANNATH UNDRESSED. 

stand; he is, however, as truly a god to the Hindu 
as any of the millions of deities they worship in all 
shapes and forms. 

BALABHADRA. 

The god Balabhadra very much resembles Jagan- 
nath. His eyes are, however, oval and placed 
slantingly, the mouth indicated by paint only, and 










THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. IO3 

the nose large and crooked. “The nostrils are 
indicated by two red spots.” There is no indica¬ 
tion of any ears. The head is divided into two 



BALABHADRA. 


curves, projecting forward, with a round knob on 
che top. 

The arms project in a line with the mouth, end¬ 
ing in stumps without hands. It is carved out of 























104 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

one piece of wood, and the arms nailed to it. This 
image is about six feet high, and is painted white. 

Subhadra is yet another of 
this class of gods. It is yel¬ 
low in color, has a round 
nose, and no arms or legs at 
all. This image is only about 
three feet in height. These 
images are grouped as fol¬ 
lows : Jagannath on the left, 
Subhadra in the middle and 
Balabhadra on the right. The 
pilgrims, who come long dis¬ 
tances to worship this group, 
are permitted to come near 
them in proportion to the sums of money they can 
pay. 

SERPENTS WORSHIPED AS GODS. 

The worship of serpents is of great antiquity. 
It is no doubt fear that prompts to worship in most 
cases, while at the same time custom and super¬ 
stition are powerful factors to confirm its claims. 
The cobra and other serpents of India cause almost 
immediate death by the mere touch of the human 
body with their poisonous fangs. About 20,000 
human beings fall victims annually, here in India, 





THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. IO5 

to snake bites. On this account serpents are 
greatly feared and reverenced by the natives. 

The cobra, the most deadly of all, is especially 
reverenced and worshiped, an illustration of which 
is here given. An old woman of this (the Madras) 
Presidency had an only son, who was in the British 
army and sent to Burma. His mother was greatly 


distressed because of his absence and very anxious 
for his safety. She found a large cobra near her 
little hut and began to feed it milk and worship it, 
praying the dreaded reptile that her son might 
return to her in safety. One day she clasped both 
her hands, and raising them to her head, bowed to 


THE COBRA WORSHIPED. 









106 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

the serpent in humble devotion ; but coining too 
near, the cobra became frightened and leaped at 
her, bit her, and prostrated its devotee in the 
agonies of death in a few short moments. These 
serpents are hunted out by the people and offerings 
of milk placed before them when certain requests 
are made. To kill one of these supposed sacred 
reptiles is looked upon with horror by the ortho¬ 
dox Hindus. 


BIRDS WORSHIPED. 

As men have horses to ride upon, so it is sup¬ 
posed that the gods require some means of trans¬ 
portation. The Hindus have consequently a bull 
to Siva, a swan to Brahma, a rat to Ganesa, an 
EEEPHANT to Indra, GARUD, half man, half bird, 
to Vishnu. Garud is consequently the king of 
birds. The Brahman Kite is supposed to repre¬ 
sent Garuda. As an act of merit, pieces of flesh 
are put at the disposal of these birds, while the 
people stand and watch them. 

The Hindu does not perform religious ceremo¬ 
nies except for the sake of merit and relief from 
trouble. This must always remain the heathen 
idea of worship; only the true Christian is moved 
to thanksgiving and love toward Him who loved 
first. 


THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 


IO7 



BIRDS WORSHIPED (FEEDING A KITE RELIGIOUSLY). 

DEMON WORSHIP. 

Before the Aryans entered India, it was inhab¬ 
ited by rude tribes who worshiped evil spirits. 
Most of these evil spirits were supposed to dwell 
in trees; some wandered to and fro, while others 
were holding forth in shady retreats. All were 
powerful, malicious and interfering, and all de- 





108 THK HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

sired bloody sacrifices and frantic dances. Images 
were formulated of some of those demons, one of 
which is here given. This hideous object was for- 



DEMON WORSHIP. 


merly worshiped in the Tinnevelly District, South 
India. 

It has been said by a close observer, “The ma¬ 
jority of the inhabitants of India are from the 
cradle victims of a form of mental disease, which 
is best expressed by the term demonophobia (dread 







THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 109 

of evil spirits). They are haunted and oppressed 
by a perpetual dread of demons. They are firmly 
convinced that evil spirits, from malignant fiends 
to merely mischievous imps and elves, are on the 
watch to harm, harass and torment them, to cause 
plague and sickness, famine and disaster; to im¬ 
pede, injure and mar every good work.” 

THE DEMON MADLAN. 

Malian, “the giant,” is revered especially by 
the tribes in the mountainous district of Travan- 
core, South India. Sometimes, it is said, two of 
these fiends—sixteen or seventeen feet in height 
—with terrible countenances and enormous project¬ 
ing teeth and tusks, are seen fighting together, 
and throwing lighted brands at each other. 

The accompanying illustration represents Mal¬ 
ian and his wife Karunkali, or black Kali, on his 
right. Bishop Caldwell says: “When it is deter¬ 
mined to offer a sacrifice to a devil, a person is 
appointed to act the part of priest. Demon wor¬ 
ship is not like the worship of deities, whether 
supreme or subordinate, but may be performed by 
any one who chooses. This priest is styled a 
“devil-dancel.” Usually one of the principal 
men of the village officiates; but sometimes the 
duty is voluntarily undertaken by some devotee, 



no THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

male or female, who wishes to gain notoriety, or 
in whom the sight of preparation excites a sudden 
zeal.” These dancers use noisy instruments, like 


the drum and the horn. Such dances usually take 
place at night, in times when there is cholera or 
some other epidemic prevalent. 


THE DEMON MAEEAN AND HIS WIEE KARUNKAIJ. 
















THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 


nr 


“One of the most important parts of demon 
worship is the offering of goats, sheep, fowls, etc., 
in sacrifice. The animal is led to the altar of the 
temple adorned with garlands of flowers. Ordi¬ 
narily its head is severed from the body by a single 
stroke. The sacrifice is considered unacceptable by 
the demon if more than one blow is required. The 
decapitated body is then held up so that all the 
blood may flow out upon the demon’s altar. The 
sacrifice being now completed, the animal is cut 
up on the spot, made into curry, and with the 
addition of boiled rice and fruit, offered to the 
demon on the same occasion, forms a sacred meal, 
of which all who have joined in the sacrifice re¬ 
ceive a share. 

The sole object of the sacrifice is to remove the 
demon’s wrath or avert the calamities which his 
anger brings down upon the human race. It 
should be distinctly understood that sacrifices are 
never offered on account of the sins of the worship¬ 
ers, neither is the demon’s anger excited by any 
moral offense. The religion of these demon wor¬ 
shipers has no connection with morals. The mo¬ 
tive is either to get relief in sickness or gain favor. 
The demon always thirsts for the blood of his 
votary or for that of his child ; but by a little 
ceremony and show of respect, a little music and a 


112 


THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 


little coaxing, he may be content with the life of a 
goat instead. Accordingly a goat is sacrificed, its 



DEMONS. 

blood is poured out upon the demon’s altar and the 
devotee goes free. 






THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 


IJ 3 


THE TREE GOD. 

On the sacred Ganges, the stump of a banyan 
tree said to be fifteen centuries old, and still alive, 
is worshiped as a god. As shown in the illustra- 



THE TREE GOD. 

tion, a light burns before it, and near it sits a 
Brahman to receive the offerings. 

“A cloth is so arranged that the tree cannot 
be properly seen. It is merely part of a forked tree 
stuck into the ground with its bark on, and re¬ 
newed secretly by the priests when it threatens to 
8 



















114 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

decay. A European tried the bark and found it 
quite dry and brittle.” 

Many objects of similar nature are worshiped 
in India, simply because custom has put them 
among the list of the gods. 

i V ‘ 

THE SACRED TANK. 

The story of these “sacred waters” in north 
India is a good illustration of heathen folly. At 
the junction of the Ganges and Jumna rivers, the 
waters are supposed to be very holy, and all those 
who there end their lives are sure to gain eternal 
bliss. This place is constantly crowded with pil¬ 
grims. It was the custom formerly—until the 
English Government stopped it—for some fanatics 
to drown themselves in these sacred waters, in the 
hope of going direct to heaven. 

The drowning was accomplished in the follow¬ 
ing manner: 

“ They went out into the water with some Brah¬ 
mans in a boat, when a large pot was tied to one 
hand of the devotee, and a small cup held in the 
other. They were then lowered into the water,, 
the air in the empty pot serving to keep them 
afloat. They then with the cup commenced slowly 
to fill the pot with water. (As per illustration.) 
As each cupful was added, the pot gradually filled 



THE GODS THE HINDU WORSHIPS. 115 
and slowly sunk, until the balance was turned and 


IN SACRED WATERS. 

with its weight dragged the deluded creatures be^ 
neath the waves.” 










CHAPTER III. 


THE HINDU’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS MISSIONS. 

In India the visible progress of Missions has 
been from the bottom toward the higher strata of 
society. We need go back only a few decades to 
find the Caste people of India quite hostile to all 
efforts made by missionaries either to influence or 
teach their children and families, or to have the 
Gospel preached to themselves. All intercourse 
with missionaries was avoided, and their homes 
shunned. Hinduism succeeded in silencing all 
moral convictions, and putting an embargo on all 
independent thought and action. 

This system has, however, been much modified 
of late years by the influx of Gospel light and 
Western civilization. Western science and litera¬ 
ture are now beginning to be admired by the mil¬ 
lions of India; and are even working a visible 
change in the attitude of the Caste man. 

The Mission colleges and schools all over India 
are now filled with the sons and daughters of 
India, including every Caste. Caste, the chief 
(116) 


HIS ATTITUDE TOWARDS MISSIONS. 117 

barrier to all progress, is gradually relaxing its 
deep-rooted tendrils to give place to a little intel¬ 
lectual training and social intercourse, of which 
the past knew nothing. The missionary, wher¬ 
ever stationed, becomes the central figure among 
the Hindus of his community; and there is none 
so looked up to, so confided in, and so respected 
by all classes in India to-day as the earnest Chris¬ 
tian missionary. His counsel is sought, his opin¬ 
ions are respected, and his home is frequented by 
the highest, as well as the lowest people of his sta¬ 
tion. In his tours through the district, his tent is 
surrounded by all classes and Castes; by some for a 
friendly chat, by some for help in time of trouble, 
by others in the hope of aid to some worldly gain, 
but by all in the sure conviction that the mission¬ 
ary is a man of cosmopolitan character, who is will¬ 
ing and able to help all—willing, because his work 
is to help; able, because they believe him to pos¬ 
sess some of that power manifested in the Western 
world from which he came. His work is always 
regarded as superior to the native of India, 
and consequently the Caste man is beginning to 
forego his Caste prejudices in order that he may 
be a little closer associated with men whom he 
feels to be strong, and actuated by high and noble 
principles, and working for the good of those 
about him. 


Il8 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

There are even many now who secretly believe 
the Gospel of Jesns Christ to be the Truth, and He 
the Saviour of their souls; and only the fear of 
social ostracism by Caste, holds them from open 
profession. They see and secretly confess that 
there is a power in Christianity which can not be 
ignored. By personal contact with missionaries 
and the preaching of the Word, their faith in their 
own Gurus (priests) has been shaken, and they are 
now only seeking for a way by which to possess 
themselves of the blessings of Christianity without 
too great earthly losses. This seems cowardly in 
the light of Western civilization, but is a long way 
for the Hindu to have come, and justifies the hope 
that a few short years of intensive, upright Chris¬ 
tian work will so impress the Hindu that not only 
a man here and there will come out on the Lord’s 
side, but when whole communities will leave idol¬ 
atry and openly confess Christ as their Saviour. 

The progress of Christianity has been marvelous 
in the last decade. There are to-day about 3,000,000 
converts from Hinduism. These converts are from 
all castes and creeds, but chiefly from the lowly. 
The change of sentiment in respect to these Christ¬ 
ians and the Caste man’s attitude toward them 
shows, however, that the Hindu has learned even 
to respect the poorest and lowest of the products of 
Mission work. 


HIS ATTITUDE TOWARDS MISSIONS. 119 

Converts of the lowest classes are now being 
welcomed to the Caste man’s home to teach the 
women and children, and intelligent converts are 
respected by all classes. The New Testament and 
Christian literature which has been brought to bear 
upon the minds of the young men in colleges and 
Christian schools of all grades, has brought up a 
class of liberal-minded men who are leaving idol¬ 
atry alone as much as they can. They have be¬ 
come a class of men enthusiastic over Western 
thought, and are trying to get away from the old, 
time-worn, weak customs of their ancestors, and 
feel a strong sympathy for Christian institutions. 
’Tis true, many of these, as yet, seem perplexed 
and quite at a loss what course to pursue, not be¬ 
ing ready to lose all earthly interests at a single 
step. As a medium by which some have hoped to 
make the transition, fraternities like the Brahmo 
Samaj and others have been formed, these being 
more or less of Christian character, discountenanc¬ 
ing idolatry and professing a desire to know and 
worship God. Such changes unmistakably indi¬ 
cate the attitude of the Hindu toward Christianity. 
The old errors and superstitions are beginning to 
lose their hold upon the educated classes, and a 
dim light is shining in upon the benighted institu¬ 
tions of India, which is being recognized as the 


120 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

dawning light which will dispel the darkness 
and reveal to India a PURE RELIGION which en¬ 
lightens and elevates. 

There is no doubt that the Hindu’s thoughts are 
more and more centering around Christ. The 
beauty and truth of the moral teachings of the 
Bible are acknowledged, and Christian institutions 
are beginning to wield a real influence. This in¬ 
fluence is frequently seen exerting itself openly, 
but more frequently discovered by the missionary 
where least expected, in private contact with the 
Hindu. Hinduism can offer, to the ordinary man, 
nothing but transmigration; but Christianity 
brings atonement for sin and eternal life. This 
alone satisfies the longings of the soul of man. 

The homes of India are open to instruction, 
the children are sent to mission schools wherever 
established, the parents come to hear the Word at 
times, the missionary is regarded as a safer charac¬ 
ter to give counsel than their own priests, and in 
every way the Hindu is favorable to missions. 
This may safely be regarded as an index pointing 
toward future results. 

Under such favorable circumstances the result 
of the future cannot be doubted, if the Church of 
Christ energetically carries forward her work. 
There has never been such an encouraging out- 


HIS ATTITUDE TOWARDS MISSIONS. 121 

look, never such confidence and respect for Chris- 
anity, never such a willingness to hear the Gospel, 
and to have the entire household brought under its 
hallowed influence. 

Such is the attitude of the Hindu towards mis¬ 
sions to-day. What is our duty as a Christian 
Church toward him ? 

India has a special claim upon every Christian 
in the West. The millions of Hindus of India 
can look back to a common ancestry with our¬ 
selves. “At a remote period the Aryan ancestors 
of both Indians and Europeans lived together, 
speaking the same language and worshiping the 
same gods.” We of the West have been favored 
with the light of Christianity and a high civiliza¬ 
tion ; but shall we now leave to perish our less fav¬ 
ored brother whom we find in the low ditch of 
idolatry? They are perishing miserably in super¬ 
stition and Caste. Shall we not come to their 
refuge and rescue all if possible, or at least such as 
are opening their doors and hearts, desiring to be 
taught that they may learn the way of life ? 

In this work each disciple of Christ has a definite 
part. Each one has a definite work to perform, 
each one has an influence to exert which will be 
instrumental in ushering in the kingdom of God, 
and until each one contributes that little part 


122 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

allotted, some part of the work must be left undone. 
The thought that some benighted soul is sure to 
suffer if we neglect our duty, needs to be brought 
prominently before our minds frequently. 

Oh! what a thought to confront a sincere Chris¬ 
tian; some soul perishing for which he is respon¬ 
sible! A soul perishing because a few cents or a 
few dollars belonging to the Lord were withheld 
and used for personal gratification! A soul perish¬ 
ing because an opportunity was neglected when an 
influence could have been exerted for the awaken¬ 
ing of interest in this great work! 

By giving of the means the Lord has granted 
you, you will help some poor idolater to an eternal 
inheritance, and become brothers in Christ. 

This is the brotherhood which Christ commanded 
should be extended over the whole world, and 
surely He means to accomplish this through His 
faithful disciples. To what extent have we been 
co-laborers with Christ? To what extent are we 
willing to be in the future? We should not try to 
decide this question in a moment, but go to our 
closets on bended knees and pray God as we have 
never prayed before for a full revelation of our 
whole duty to Him and His work among the 
heathen, and for grace to do our whole duty, what¬ 
ever it may cost, from an earthly standpoint. 


HIS ATTITUDE TOWARDS MISSIONS. 1 23 

Whether it cost money; what is that but filthy 
lucre which cannot accompany us beyond the 
grave ? whether it costs sacrifice from a worldly 
standpoint; our very tears are to be wiped away if 
we be numbered among the faithful : whether it 
cost life itself; what is that but an uncertain shadow 
which to-day is and to-morrow is not, but which 
shall be renewed to all eternity among the redeemed 
if we are faithful over the stewardship with which 
He has entrusted us? Thus while only doing what 
is our duty before God, we shall become instru¬ 
ments in His hands to save others and at the same 
time save our own souls. 

We have tried to give a plain and truthful view 
of the Hindu, the gods he is still bowing to every 
day all around us here in India, and his attitude 
towards missions, in this short and simple way, in 
the hope that all who read these pages may feel 
that they know something about the Hindu—for 
were you to come and live among him, such you 
would find him—and, if possible, to show the great 
work yet to be done if his soul is to be saved. 
This must be done by rescuing him from idolatry 
and Caste, but this nothing but the power of the 
Word of God can accomplish. 

I wish, therefore, that every consecrated soul 
who may read these pages make with me this vow 
on bended knees before God: 


124 THE HINDU; OR CASTE MAN. 

“Son of God, Saviour of the world, as I love 
Thee, and as I hope to receive eternal life through 
Thy atoning blood shed for me upon the Cross, by 
Thy grace and help I will give of my means, and 
use such means as I possess to spread Thy Gospel 
truths, and make known the way of life to all 
men.” 

With this determination ever before us, let us 
work for the evangelization of the Hindu, and the 
spreading of Gospel light to the ends of the earth. 
“Fear not, ye little flock, for it is your Father’s 
will to give you the kingdom if ye faint not.” 

The End. 


Statistical Table. 

Numbers professing the dijferent religions in India . 

Hindus.187,000,000 * 

Muhammadans. . . 50,000,000 

Christians. . . . 3,000,000 

Buddhists.... 3,000,000 

Others.119,000,000 


* Of which number 21,000,000 are widows. 






























































































































































































































































































































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